In the Neonian Baptistery, Saint Paul stands opposite Saint Peter. Paul
of Tarsus was a Jew and, initially, a persecutor of Christians. While
travelling from Jerusalem to Damascus, he had a vision that left him
blind and led to his conversion. Unlike Peter, Paul did not meet Christ
in person but encountered him through faith, and is considered the
first theologian of Christianity. A symbol of the Ecclesia ex gentibus,
he is the one who made Christ known to the Gentiles – those who were
not part of the chosen people. Paul is also represented according to
iconographic canons born in the Roman catacombs.
In the Neonian Baptistery, his face is rendered through a skilful use
of delicately laid tesserae. They outline his high and balding forehead,
defined in volume by small insertions of white and gold tesserae, like
highlights. He has black hair and a dark, pointed beard, just as the
philosophers Plato and Plotinus wore it, and his gaze is absorbed and
 thoughtful – a reference to his activity as an intellectual.