Early Christian, 3rd century
Group of Sculptures with Christian Subjects
Asia Minor, probably Phryqia (Central Turkey)
John L. Severance Fund 1965.237-.241
©The Cleveland Museum of Art
Location: Gallery 210 Known as
"The Jonah Marbles,
" this sculptural ensemble astonished the art world when it was introduced to the public in 1965, not only for its superb quality and condition, but also for its very survival.
Carved for well-to-do Christians living in the eastern Roman Empire, these sculptures were inspired by earlier models in a style known as "Hellenistic." This term refers to the spread of Greek culture and language throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Near East after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century bc.
The characteristics of Hellenistic sculpture are seen in the beard, hair, and tunic of the figure of
Jonah Praying, which derives from ancient representations of the god Zeus. The reclining figure of
Jonah Under the Gourd Vine recalls Hellenistic depictions of river gods, and the beardless figure of
The Good Shepherd is Apollo-like in his tunic. Christian art was not an entirely original creation. It derived naturally from Hellenistic, Roman, and Near Eastern art.