Most of the early Christian art - Art graves

Icon is a combination of three different cultures: the Greek culture, Roman culture and Christian culture. Byzantine art has gone beyond its artistic empire borders, it is especially the development of Slavic art has a profound impact.
Christian art first appeared in the catacombs, before the 6th century, the underground cemetery widely distributed this stone. Although the catacombs not belong to any particular religious group, and that the location is also around in all over, but it usually is associated with the Christian faith. The largest group in the catacombs of Rome were found. From the beginning of the 3rd century AD, Roman Christians to bury their dead outside the city walls underground cemetery, the cemetery by the different sizes of these corridors and cubicles. Some tombs decorated with drawing or engraving, marking the identity of the tomb inscriptions, while others are based on the tomb of the image "Old Testament" scene. The tombs of the image is very simple, consisting of only a few strokes rough lines and a limited set of colors. Topics include Christ holding a lamb, to escape from the burning stove in God's praise of the three young men (Daniel Doyle 3: 16-30), pull the turn if the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Eucharist, etc. . Tolerated in Christian times, the tomb decoration has become more sophisticated. In the 6th century AD, the Roman underground vault is no longer used to bury the dead.
　Tomb art is a blind nature of the art teaching. Christian was the creation of a new symbol, along with the already existing pagan symbol, used together. For example, the ship is a symbol of the church, but also a symbol of prosperity. Peacocks, pigeons, palm tree is a symbol of heaven. Magi to worship the image of Christ symbolizes the pagan converts to Christ; Christ makes cake symbolizes the number of images to share their holy body of believers;  wine symbolizes God's mysteries to be baptized. Because of the fear of persecution, Christians will use symbolic language, that is, a secret code that will not be publicly expressed ideological believers to draw out: neophyte can gradually learn the mysterious symbol of the tomb of the image. In terms of gathering where Christians have created a way to make them think of God's kingdom visual environment, in this environment, helping them to pray, while the grave is done a witness。

The early Christian catacombs of Rome.