The Symbolism of the Sculptures
These sculptures conform to a language of symbols developed by early Christians.
The Good Shepherd represents Jesus as the savior of his Christian flock. The four figures of Jonah depict incidents from the biblical story. Swallowed by a "great fish" for his disobedience to God, Jonah spent three days within the beast's stomach. After repenting, he was disgorged unharmed.
Jonah Swallowed and
Jonah Cast Up were understood by early Christians to represent the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The gourd vine under which Jonah rests was another symbol of the resurrection. The image of Jonah resting developed from pagan mythological figures who, after sleeping, arose to everlasting life in paradise.
The figure of
Jonah Praying with arms extended in the "orant" position may represent either his repentance within the whale's belly or his thankfulness after his deliverance.