Romanesque wall paintings in churches had a didactic purpose and featured predominantly religious themes and iconography. Common images included the Pantocrator or Christ as judge at the center, surrounded by other figures like the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints. Stylistically, the paintings had flat colors, thick outlines, and lacked realistic proportions or shading. Specific conventions were used to depict figures and symbolism around religious scenes. Wall paintings could cover vaults and arches in addition to apses and were not confined to any single location within the church.