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While the goal of every artist is to create an aesthetically pleasing work of art, there is usually an underlying meaning that will often take priority over the aesthetics of a piece of art. In medieval art, this underlying meaning as well as the theme was almost invariably religious. The mosaics from Sant Apollinare Nuovo are no exception as the New Testament scenes depicted along the walls of the nave are each symbolic of what …

…its placement in relation to different objects can add meaning. The context of the story depicted plays a major role in the overall meaning of the work as well. Most importantly, however, is the symbolic meaning of each object depicted in the work. In Sant Apollinare Nuovo, there is a lot going on even when there is nothing going on. One can tell what would have been happening just by the mosaics on the walls.