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Chap. II. THE DECLINE AT ROME. 81 Gay colour, ornament, and perhaps better proportions, marked a later mosaic of the twelfth century represent ing the Virgin and child between the seven wise and the seven foolish Virgins, on the front of the church of S. Maria in Trastevere. The Virgin and Saviour, enthroned together in the apsis of the church were remarkable for similar qualities and defects. The Saviour, of larger size than the Virgin, — the Virgin herself with a splen did crown and gilt draperies, the richly coloured fan ornament, — the twining branches and foliage in which birds seemed to twitter, — the figures of saints on the tribune, short, thickset and lame in attitude, — all ex hibited Roman art at this time as almost reduced to mere decoration. 1 The decorative principle was applied with still more exclusiveness to the apsis of S. Clemente, where, in the midst of rich vine tendrils, the Saviour was represented crucified, with twelve doves about the head, the Virgin and S. John Evangelist at the base of the cross. Four fathers of the church, shepherds, goats, birds were scattered about the ornament, below which the four streams of paradise, the Lamb, and the two cities were placed. On the arch of the tribune Isaiah, S. Law rence with the gridiron, S. Paul under the form of a pilot, S. Peter, and a symbolical figure with an anchor, — in the upper centre, the Saviour and the symbols of the four Evangelists, completed the mosaic. The attitude of the Saviour on the cross, the closed eyes, betrayed the progress of a new religious idea in reference to the pic torial delineation of the Redeemer. The figures were less defective than at S. Maria in Trastevere, but the dra- The use of red and black in the flesh tints is less frequent than in S. Marco, but they are of a flat and unrelieved yellowish tone. The figure of the Saviour is long, lean and ugly. 1 On each side of the throne S.S. Calixtus, Lawrence and Inno cent the II. (1139), S. Peter, the popes Cornelius and Julius, and VOL,. I. the presbyter Calipodius. Below the throne, Bethlehem, Jerusalem the 12 sheep and 4 rivers on a blue ground. — On the arch of the tribune, Isaiah and Jeremiah, above them children, vases and flowers. On each side a tree and the symbols of the Evangelists. Above the centre the cross and seven candlesticks. G