The Baptism of Jesus Christ

3rd century
Wall painting
Catacomb of Callistus, Rome

The Catacomb of Callistus has special significance for the earliest stages of Christian iconography because the images were supervised by church officials of the 3rd century and can be considered reflective of theological emphases of the time (Jensen, Face to Face, 2). In this case, Jesus stands in for all the Christian baptisands to come: naked because that was the case in 3rd-century baptisms, and small because the baptisand is a "new life."

Like the Baptism of Christ image in Ravenna's 5th-century Arian Baptistery, John merely places his hand on Jesus' head; in the Neonian Baptistery, later in the 5th century and intended for Catholic initiates, he pours water over Jesus' head from a shell or dish.

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Source: this page at Wikimedia Commons.