The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . heentire edifice, somewhat resembling a magnificentbarn, bore no manner of similitude to the Pagantemple : bare walls without, in place of columns;a flat wooden roof and regular windows, in theroom of an unbroken enclosure favourable to theartifices of divination: these peculiarities musthave obviated every objection to the secular originof the building that the most uncompromisingenemies of idolatry could suggest. We may safely take as a specimen of churcharchitecture belongin
The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . heentire edifice, somewhat resembling a magnificentbarn, bore no manner of similitude to the Pagantemple : bare walls without, in place of columns;a flat wooden roof and regular windows, in theroom of an unbroken enclosure favourable to theartifices of divination: these peculiarities musthave obviated every objection to the secular originof the building that the most uncompromisingenemies of idolatry could suggest. We may safely take as a specimen of churcharchitecture belonging to the times of the Cata-combs, the basilica sculptured on a sarcophagus,actually discovered in them, and now deposited inthe Vatican library. THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIAN ART. 287 The date of this curious work is decided by itsdetails. The beardless countenance of our Saviourdenotes a time previous to the general adoption ofthe more aged type; and the basilica, seen in theback-ground, indicates an epoch somewhat laterthan that of Constantine. In fixing upon the endof the fourth century as the date of this piece of. sculpture, we are acting in accordance with thesubject of the foreground — Christs warning toPeter; an incident in the Apostles history farfrom popular in Rome at a later period. The sym-bolic introduction of the cock on an Ionic pillarplaced between the figures, belongs to the hiero-glyphic school of design then prevalent: while thegesture of St. Peter, exactly resembling that of amodern Italian peasant, displays an imitation ofnature superior to the general state of art at thetime. But what gives to this composition its great an-tiquarian value, is the representation of a Christian 288 THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIAN ART. basilica in a complete form. On the left is seen adetached baptistery surmounted by the monogram:the central building seems to be a repetition of thaton the right, so placed as to show, in defiance ofperspective, the terminating absis. The entrancedoor be
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