The sculpture in the image is that of a portrait of an older gentle man. He was quiet possibly a roman senator and this work was created in the 1rst century BC. The face is realistic as opposed to idealistic and look like the man it was modeled after. The slight frown on the mouth and wrinkled brow give a thoughtful look to the figure. This figure shows a mastery of the human form and the capturing of the human anatomy.
This is an image of Christ as the Good Shepherd. This is a Lunette or a semi circular work of art normall found in architechture. This specific example is found in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia at Ravenna and was created in 440 AD. This work is a mosaic or a piece made up of colored tiles to create a larger image. The subject is that of a beardless Christ surrounded by sheep. The fact that he is holding a cross means that this is a representation of after his death on the cross. The figure has less attention to details such as depth and focuses more on color to convey its message.
The emerging Christian and Classical Roman art look completely different from on another. Though it seems to be a step backward in technique both pieces are equally challenging and beautiful to admire. The Roman art like that in the 1rst image I have chosen is more realistic in its attention to the human anatomy and the idealized form. Where as the later Christian art is more concerned with conveying its point with symbols like in the color of the clothing Jesus has on and in the cross in his hand. The loss of detail in the realism may be gone but the message of him being a good shepherd still remains. This is something the Roman art lacks, It lacks a message. Its purpose was to spread power.
