Mosaic Christ The Good Shepherd Analysis

The mosaic Christ as the Good Shepherd c. 425-426 is a beautiful work of art. The reasons behind this work of art being not only beautiful but also overall a functional piece of art is the elements of the mosaic its self. To create unity and balance in a piece of art there are certain elements of design as well as the principle of design that need to be followed. In this image, there are numerous indications that it follows these guidelines. For example, there is a consistent color theme throughout the mosaic. The artist used monochromatic colors as well as complementary colors to create some contrast and to bring overall harmony to the image. Another example is the use of implied lines that lead to the focal point. The focal point/emphasis is also another principle of design that brings harmony to the image. And the last example is the use of implied depth. All of these elements incorporated together to give the audience a feeling of unity and balance.
The color scheme in the mosaic has a cool vibe. There is an abundance of monochromatic blues, browns, tans, and greens. The use of the cool colors gives the image a calming effect, but having only cool colors can cause the image to lack variety. The artist brings variety by using complementary colors, which causes contrast. There are …show more content…
In the Christ as the Good Shepherd all the piece work together perfectly to create this perfect harmony. This perfect harmony brings an emotional reaction out of people. The cool colors and the balance of each element of design, as well as the principle of designs, create a feeling of calm and serenity, but the warm colors incorporated create a feeling of intrigue and excitement. It has harmony and contrast. It has variety and repetition. It is proportioned and the proximity of each element is perfect. It is a beautiful, intriguing, functional, unified piece of art that most people can relate