File:Monuments of the early church (1901) (14783195432).jpg

Identifier: monumentsofearly00lowr (find matches)
Title: Monuments of the early church
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Lowrie, Walter, 1868-1959
Subjects: Christian antiquities Christian art and symbolism Church architecture Church history -- Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan Company London, MacMillan & Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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le incrustations of thelower walls have been lost, but the mosaics are fairly well pre-served ; they are very finely designed, and they have a specialinterest in the fact that they constitute one of the few exampleswe have of the early decoration of a dome, another being8. George in Thessalonica, the mosaics of which (Fig. 144)have ■ been ascribed to the time of Justinian, but are possi- 830 piCTOBTAL Anr bly mucli later. Above the first order of arcades areeight admirable figures of prophets; they are surrounded bya graceful foliage design, and with their shining white gar-ments they stand out in strong contrast against the darkblue ground. Similar figures in stucco appear above in theniches which alternate with the windows. At the top of theseniches are small fields of mosaic which represent a varietyof subjects, some of them taken from the earliest cycle of thecatacombs. The mosaics of the dome consist of two concentriczones surrounding a central medallion. The first zone repeats
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Fig. 141. — The Good Shepherd, mosaic in the mausoleum of Galla Placldia, Eavenna. Fifth centuiy. four times the same theme: an ornamental arcade, in the midstof which is an altar supporting an open Gospel, and on eachside a rich throne. Alternating with this and four times re-peated is a large throne in a niche. The second and broaderzone represents the Twelve Apostles marching with their crownsin their hands. The central medallion contains an admirabhrepresentation of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. Another monument of the same age is (Fig. 50) the mauso-leum of Galla Placidia (SS. Nazario e Celso), which still containsthe sarcophagus of that empress, as well as that of Constan-tius III., her second husband, and of her brother Honorius.It is a building of rude construction, but on account of thecomplete preservation of its mosaics its decorative effect is MOSAICS— Tomb of GaIJa Plandla 331 very rich, and it gives a more striking impression than anyother ancient monument of

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