Reply To: Graven Images

[Dean Riley]

I think one was that artists got around creating something that could be interpreted as a graven image or false god was by incorporating Christian aspects into the art. For instance in The Oratory of Galla Placidia, there are numerous Christian themes in the image such as the inclusion of the Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The image also shows St. Lawrence carrying a cross and a bible to show his dedication to dying as a martyr for a noble cause. He died not for his own purposes, but to spread the word of Christianity.