46 EARLY CHRISTIAN ART. Chap. II. The apsis of S. Agnes was devoted to the glorification of that saint in the presence of Honorius the first and S. Symmachus. The long motionless figures stood side by side on a green ground, without much gravity of attitude or of features. Antique feeling might be traced in the relief of the male heads and in the broad draperies: but the spread of the Greek style might be noticed in the straight lines of the features and folds, whilst the gradual progress of decay was marked by sombre colour, dark and abrupt shadows, heavy dark outlines and a rude exe cution with the ill jointed cubes peculiar to Roman art. 1 In the middle of the seventh century the apsis of S. Venanzio was devoted to the Virgin who stood with outstretched arms in the centre of the space with S.S. Peter, Paul, John the Baptist and five other saints on each side of her. Above her a colossal bust of the Saviour, resting on red clouds floating in a golden heaven, gave her the benediction. A face of long but regular forms was inclosed by long hair falling on the shoulders, and a short beard beneath the chin. Two angels in flying draperies, nimbed, with broad round heads, and powerful necks, with hair bound by bands whose ends floated in the wind, held guard on each side of him. Their forms as well as those of the Saviour were com pletely reminiscent of the antique. In the upper face, outside the apsis were the symbols of the Evangelists, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, whilst, swelling the row of and Paul are almost all of the old work remaining. The head and hand of the Saviour are quite modern, the latter formless. The purple mantle is also in great part new. S. Theodore holds a cross. The saint introduced by S. Paul is totally altered. The feet and draperies of S. Paul himself partly renewed, the feet and hands of S. Peter modern, the whole on gold ground. 1 The hand of the Eternal issues out of a triple star-bespangled halo with a crown for S. Agnes, whose head is encircled with a nimbus. She wears a purple tunic and a gold mantle lined white, and a jewelled collar, — in her hands a scroll, the latter in part restored. Honorius, with a model of the church in hand, wears a white tunic and purple mantle. S. Symmachus in a purple dress carries a book. The mosaics may he assigned to the time of Hono rius the I st , 625. 638.
