Apse Mosaic (deatil) 549

This mosaic can be found in the apse of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, near Ravenna, Italy, and was created by Byzantine artists. Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century, so this church was part of a project to establish Christianity as the religion of power. The lamb is a well-established Christian symbol for Christ as a sacrificial figure, as well as for his followers, who form his flock. As Christianity became increasingly institutionalized in the early Byzantine period, such imagery was used to assert its authority and define its core beliefs. This mosaic is a reminder that art is never created in a vacuum, and its meaning is always shaped by the society in which it is produced. To truly understand the art of the past, we must look beyond the aesthetic qualities of the work itself and consider the social, political, and religious contexts in which it was created. The resources of social and institutional history allow us to do just that.