About three hundred years after Christ died，a Roman emperor named Constantine became a Christian himself.Then，for the first time，the Christian society no longer needed to be secret.The Christians had no further fear of harm，so they came out of the catacombs to do their worshiping openly and built churches above ground and covered the walls with pictures and mosaics.Then for over a thousand years they painted pictures of people and scenes from the Bible.
The Greeks painted pictures chiefly of people without any clothes on，because they thought the human figure the most beautiful thing in the world and they did not want to cover it up.The Christian painters thought such figures immodest，and in the pictures they made they covered up the entire body with clothing，so that only the face，hands，and feet showed.They spent all their efforts in trying to make the face soulful and holy—not just beautiful.Often the background was painted in gold.Sometimes the pictures，instead of being painted，were made of mosaic.Paintings on plaster walls would peel and crumble and rub off，and mosaic would last.Mosaic pictures were often made on the floors of churches because such a picture made of stones was the only kind that would stand the tread of countless feet.It would not wear out，it would not wear off！
No.6MOSAIC OF CHRIST，THE GOOD SHEPHERD（镶嵌画，《好牧人基督》）Courtesy of The University Prints
But the best paintings the Christian artists made were tiny illustrations or decorations for their Bibles and holy books.Some of these pictures were no larger than a postage stamp.Most of them were made by the monks，pious men who gave their lives to the service of the Church.All books were written by hand （we call them manuscripts），for printing had not been invented.These pictures for books were called illuminations and were made in gold and bright colors and were much more beautiful than the larger pictures on church walls and ceilings.
【中文阅读】
我们最熟悉的历史人物要数基督了，然而却没有一个人知道他到底长什么样。尽管基督的画像比任何人的画像都要多，但所有关于他的画都是想象出来的。如果我们能拥有一幅他的真实画像，那么这幅画或许就是世界上最珍贵的画了。早期的基督画像都是在他死后很久才完成的，是由从没见过他的画家们创作的，因此他们只能按自己想象中基督的模样来画。
基督时代，世界上最著名的城市要数意大利的罗马。罗马基督徒的人数激增，很快超过了基督出生和生活的地方。早期的基督徒是一个秘密群体。他们的社交也是隐秘的，因为统治阶层认为他们是一群危险人物，于是折磨他们，甚至随便找个借口就将他们处死。
所以罗马基督徒在地底下挖了成千上万条隧道和地下室，用以聚会。他们死后也葬在地下室的壁洞里。这些黑暗潮湿的洞穴叫做地下墓穴，只有微弱昏暗的小灯照明。基督徒在墓穴顶部和穴壁上画画。其中有一幅叫做《好牧人》，画中的基督肩扛一只羊。你认为他们都是依据什么模样来画基督的呢？原来是依据一位希腊神的画像！
这些早期基督徒画的其他图画讲述的是狮子坑里的但以理、约拿和大鱼以及希腊神俄耳普斯如何用魔乐迷惑野兽的故事。
但大部分地下墓穴画并不是我们平时所说的真正意义上的画。它们不仅仅是一种装饰，而且还是对基督徒有某种意义的装饰。他们画鸽子因为鸽子代表圣灵，他们相信圣灵是以鸽子的形象从天而降的。他们画公鸡，因为彼得在不认基督时正好鸡叫。他们画铁锚，因为在他们眼里，他们的宗教就像铁锚一样，保护船只在暴风雨中不触礁。这个铁锚也是他们的保障。他们画鱼，因为在希腊语中“鱼”字的两个首字母是基督名字的首字母。他们画葡萄树，因为基督说过，“我是葡萄树”。等等。
基督死后三百年左右，一位名叫君士坦丁的罗马君主自己也变成了基督徒。于是，基督教群体从此不需要暗地里进行活动了。基督徒不再害怕遭害。他们走出地下墓穴，公开地进行崇拜活动。他们在地上建造教堂，在教堂的墙壁上画画或镶嵌图案。在接下来的一千多年间，他们画《圣经》里的人物和故事。
希腊画家画的人物通常都不穿衣服，因为他们认为世间最美的是人体，所以就不愿遮盖。基督徒画家认为这些人物有伤风化，而他们画中的人物整个身子都裹着衣服，只露出脸、手、脚。他们千方百计使画中人物的脸显得神圣高尚——而不单单是漂亮。所以这些画的背景一般是金色。有时候，这些画不是画出来的，而是用石子镶嵌出来的。泥灰墙上的画总会脱落、裂开或被擦掉，但是镶嵌画却能长久保存。镶嵌画通常画在教堂的地板上，因为只有这种石制图画才能承受无数双脚的踩踏。它不会被磨损，也不会慢慢消失！
然而，基督徒画家最好的作品是他们为《圣经》和一些圣书所作的小插图和装饰画。有些图画不比邮票大。它们大多出自修士之手——就是那些一生服务教会的虔诚人。所有的书都是手写的（我们称作“手抄本”），因为印刷术还没有发明。这些书上的图画叫做插图，金色亮丽，比教堂墙壁和天花板上的大型图画漂亮得多。
THE SHEPHERD BOY PAINTER
牧童画家
PROBABLY you have never seen a great painting.Few people have，unless they have been abroad or have visited some of the largest art galleries in this country.All they have seen are small pictures of such paintings.That is about the same as seeing a picture post card of Niagara Falls instead of seeing the Falls themselves.We know what the Falls look like，so we know what some of the great pictures look like，but that’s not the same as seeing the real thing.So you have to use your imagination to understand what a great picture in color is like，when all you can see is a small black and white copy of it.
The father of Greek painting，you may remember，was a man named Polygnotus.About two thousand years later，there lived a man who is called the father of Italian painting，His name is Cimabue—pronounced Chee-ma-boo’ay.Cimabue lived in Florence，which means the City of Flowers.It is in the central part of Italy.There are very few of his paintings in existence，and we are not sure that certain pictures are really his.And you may not see from the paintings we have why he was supposed to be such a great painter.
If Cimabue were painting now，probably he would not be considered great，but in his time he was thought very great，because he was so much better than any other painter had been for a thousand years before him.When he had finished painting a large picture of the Virgin Mary，it is said the people of Florence thought it so beautiful they formed a procession and，with trumpets sounding and banners flying，carried the picture through the streets from his house to the church where it was placed.
Another picture that Cimabue painted is of a monk，Saint Francis Monks were holy men who spent their whole time in trying to be good and in doing good.Saint Francis started a society of monks called after him，Franciscans.Those who joined the society promised to try to live as Christ had lived.They could own nothing，they could have no money.They could not marry.They spent all their time in doing good.They worked to earn their daily bread and lodging.They shaved the top of their heads，leaving a circular place bare like a bald spot，and kept it shaved so that every one would know they were monks.This shaved circle was called a tonsure.They wore a rough brown robe with a hood，and they held the robe together with a coarse rope tied round the waist.