Although this style of art was not initially Christian, it was quickly adopted by
Christians. It was suited to a religion that saw only fleeting value in the City of Man,
sought to transcend the world, and had a message to preach. A good example is a
fourth-century wall painting in a small confessio—a place where martyrs or their
relics were buried. (See Plate 1.9.) The wall, originally in an alcove on the landing of
a private house in Rome, is today beneath a church dedicated to the martyr-saints
Giovanni and Paolo. The painting shows a man standing in the ancient “orant”
position, much like the figures on the bottom of the tombstone in Plate 1.6. Whoever
the man might represent (there are conflicting interpretations), it is clear that he
dominates the scene, while at his feet are two figures in postures of humility,
suggesting a spiritual hierarchy. The curtains that frame the scene may symbolize a
place of eternal rest. Certainly the fresco, like the tombstone, marked a burial site,
since behind the grill above the orant were the remains of a martyr or martyrs. Like
the figures on the tombstone, those in the fresco have no weight, exist in no
landscape, and interact with no one. We shall continue to see the influence of this
transcendent style throughout the Middle Ages.
Nevertheless, around the very same time as this fresco was produced, more
classical artistic styles were making a brief comeback even in a Christian context.
Sometimes called the “renaissance of the late fourth and early fifth centuries,” this
was the first of many recurring infusions of the classical spirit in medieval art.
Consider the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, carved in 359 (Plate 1.10). Look at just
the bottom central panel, which depicts a man on a horse-like donkey. Two young
men greet him, one peeking out from behind an oak tree, the other laying down a
cloak. The rider’s garment drapes convincingly around his body, which has weight,
volume, and plasticity. There is a sense of depth and lively human interaction, just as
there was in the Meleager sarcophagus (Plate 1.4). But this is a Christian coffin, and
the rider is Christ, entering Jerusalem.
