Gero Crucifix Good Shepherd Lunette

Although, at a cursory glance, The Gero Crucifix and The Good Shepherd mosaic lunette appear to be completely disparate, in actuality, both provide poignant renderings of Christ. They were created in distant periods; The Gero Crucifix was commissioned and made around 970 CE by archbishop Gero while The Good Shepherd was thought to have been commissioned by Emperor Theodosis I’s daughter, Galla Placidia around 425 CE. Today, The Gero Crucifix remains in its original home from the Ottonian Empire in the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, while The Good Shepard is located in the Oratory of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. They allow for incredible insight into the religious beliefs and artistic styles of their respective periods. Both The Good Shepherd and The Gero Crucifix served essential purposes in their surroundings. The Good Shepherd mosaic depicts Christ as a shepherd among a flock of sheep. This was a recurring metaphor in Christian art, that Christ, the leader was the shepherd, and his followers were his flock of sheep. Given the placement of the mosaic, above the entrance of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, was likely thought to provide some sort of protection, and more importantly, indicate that Galla Placidia and her family whose bodies rested in the mausoleum, were good Christian followers, and thus marked for salvation. The fact that the medium of The Good Shepherd is a mosaic shows the importance of Galla Placidia and of Christianity, as mosaics at the time, were the most elaborate and expensive type of wall decor. The Gero Crucifix, had a more conspicuous place in its surroundings that The Good Shepherd did. Given that the wooden statue stands at 187cm tall and 167cm wide, and suspended over the church’s altar, it would have been difficult for any visitor to ignore the piece. Like The Good Shepherd, The Gero Crucifix had gold accents. These accents, its size, and physical three dimensionality served to draw further attention to itself and its