Long wavy brown hair. Fine features and a face covered with a beard that can be more or less thick depending on the representation. The image of Jesus Christ is probably the most recognizable image in history; it has been interpreted this way for generations in architecture, sculpture and painting. But it was not always represented in the same way.

In fact, the earliest depictions of Jesus are strange because he had neither a beard nor the characteristic hair, and he was no different from an ordinary Roman.

Paleochristianity. The early period of Christianity was not easy for its followers. After the crucifixion, the Apostles began to establish Christian groups in some cities. Some of their followers were merchants, so they expanded their faith, and according to some testaments, it was the apostle Paul who established Christian communities in the Mediterranean region. However, the Roman Empire was not very happy.

The rulers believed that Christianity had messages that could destabilize the economic system, class differences, and government. In other words, it threatened their way of life. For three centuries, Christianity was widely persecuted by the Roman Empire. This changed with the arrival of Emperor Theodosius the Great in 380, because he made a historic move: he made Nicene Christianity the official religion.

Jesus Christ, fashionThis little bit of historical context is important when it comes to explaining the earliest representations of Jesus Christ. It is thought that artistic works representing Christianity were only possible (or preserved) from the 2nd century onwards, due to the persecution of Christianity. This may also have to do with the fact that according to the Old Testament, carving of idols was forbidden, which limited the iconography of Jesus Christ.

Anyway, between 260 and 525, early Christianity began to make depictions of Jesus. And when they adapted the Roman artistic motifs of the time, the representation is of a ‘normal and ordinary’ person of his time: short-haired, shaven-headed and wearing Roman tunics.

The Good Shepherd is one of the first (if not the first) representations of Jesus

Let’s talk about beards. Wait, no beard? Yes, because the Romans had a… interesting relationship with beards. As with every historical period and almost every society, the ancient Romans were influenced by fashion. Much of it was inherited from the Greeks, and here we have to mention the most famous Macedonian in history: Alexander the Great. According to legend, before a battle in which Alexander’s troops were outnumbered by their opponents, he ordered his troops to shave. It was a hobby, but also a practical one: without a beard, the enemy would not be able to catch them there.

This is said to have started a fashion that would last for 400 years and was passed on to the Romans. Of course, over 2,000 years have passed, so everything has a history. Another tells of an invading Gaul in 387 BC, when he pulled the beard of Senator Marcus Papirius during the sack of Rome. This started a debate, and the beard was later seen as a symbol of barbarism. The stories go on, but in ancient Rome, social classes were definitely differentiated for everything, with the wealthy shaving with good tools, while the less well-off shaved with less-than-brilliant people in public barber shops.

It wasn’t just Jesus who was in fashion. It’s Noah when we associate him with a very thick, grey beard.

Recognizable. This explains why the earliest representations of Jesus Christ showed him completely shaved. The problem with these images was that there was another one. We can only identify him because of the context of the depiction (such as the artifacts where he carries a staff, indicating the subject of the miracle, as if he were a magician). Things changed with the pre-Constantinian images, and we don’t need context or explanation as to who is in the image or statue. There is no consensus here, but different interpretations of the appearance of Jesus Christ begin to emerge.

It took several decades for the slender, bearded figure with long, center-parted hair to become the standard way of representing Jesus Christ. It emerged around the year 300, but did not become established as a definitive image in Eastern and later Western Christianity until the 6th century.

The negative of the Shroud of Turin

Shroud of Turin. Although the figure universally associated with Jesus Christ was already consolidated, the Holy Shroud of Turin completed carving his image in stone. Or rather, in cloth. This piece of cloth, measuring 4.4 x 1.1 metres, is said to be the linen used to wrap the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. There is no record of the piece dating back to the 14th century, but it has been revered for centuries because one of its fragments appears to have a ‘printed’ image of Jesus’ face.

This fabric was analyzed millimeter by millimeter with all kinds of studies and there are arguments for and against falsification, but a series of negatives perfectly showed his face as well as his long and slender body printed on the fabric. This, together with previous representations, completed the outline of the current image of Jesus Christ, which is very far from the first paintings of the ancient Romans.

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