ARCH OF CONSTANTINE

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ARCH OF CONSTANTINE
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• this arch was built by Senate decree to
  commemorate Constantines victory over Maxentius
  in 312-5 AD.

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• arch is 21m high, 25.7 wide, 7.4 m deep.
• the central archway is 11.5m high.
• the side archways are 7.4m high.

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THE INSCRIPTION

• in the centre of the attic is a long inscription.
• dedicated to
  Constantine
  
  by the Senate
  
  
  and people of
  
  Rome after his
  victory over
  the
  tyrant
  
  (Maxentius).

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BASIC FACTS

• the arch stands near Colosseum.
• along the broad sides of the arch there is a
  façade of four columns on engaged bases
• what interests us is the wealth of sculptural
  decoration taken from other earlier monuments.
• this is called cannibalising.

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WHY DID HE BORROW ART FROM PAST EMPERORS?

• to return to the image of a Golden Age of Rome.
• to link him with the previous great Emperors.
• display general ideas about Constantines
  character and exploits.
• displays to the public Constantines qualities of
  pietas and virtus.
• to remind others about the virtues of traditional
  Roman religion.
• to compensate for a lack of skilled sculptors?

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CONSTANTINE TOOK PIECESFROM .

• Trajan
• Hadrian
• Marcus Aurelius
• He did put some
  pieces on it himself
  however.

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FROM THE TIME OF TRAJAN

• in the main arch interior are four large relief
  panels. These were originally part of a
  continuous battle frieze taken from Trajans
  Forum.
• two are on the inner sides of the central
  archway.
• the other two are at the top of the east and west
  faces of the arch.

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FROM THE TIME OF TRAJAN

• the eight statues of Dacian captives above each
  of the columns.
• one is completely restored.
• the others have had their heads and hands
  repaired.
• they wear a felt hat, have shaggy beards and long
  trousers these are all signs of barbarians.

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FROM THE TIME OF HADRIAN

• eight medallions set in pairs over the side
  arches of the north and south sides.
• the medallions
  commemorate
  Hadrians
  love
  of hunting and
  his
  devotion to
  the gods
  
  associated
  with it.

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THE NORTH SIDE MEDALLIONS

• a boar hunt,
• a sacrifice to
  Apollo,
• a lion hunt,
• a sacrifice to
  Hercules.

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THE SOUTH SIDE MEDALLIONS

• a scene of the hunting
  
  party setting out,
• a sacrifice to Silvanus,
• a bear hunt,
• a sacrifice to Diana.

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• four of the medallions
  represent the quality
  of
  VIRTUS courage,
  determination, manliness,
  
  endurance, violence,
  physical fitness.
• the other medallions
  represent the quality of
  PIETAS
  displaying the
  proper respect to the gods.
• some of the heads have been replaced with those
  of Constantine and his eastern co-ruler,
  Licinius.
• the mood is serene, e.g. the attendants seem
  unconcerned at Constantine killing the boar.

• leaving for the hunt,
• the boar hunt,
• the bear hunt,
• the lion hunt.
• sacrifices to Silvanus,
• Diana,
• Apollo,
• Hercules

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FROM THE TIME OF MARCUS AURELIUS

• in between the Dacian prisoners and above the
  side arches are eight rectangular relief panels.
• they commemorate
  Marcus Aureliuss
  victories
  in eastern
  Europe and
  
  Germany.
• Constantines heads
  are 18th century
  
  restorations.

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MARCUS AURELIUS

• on the northern face
• the Emperor is shown entering Rome,
• he is then shown leaving the city in the next
  panel,
• Constantine is then seen disturbing money to the
  people,
• finally in the far right panel a barbarian chief
  surrenders to him .

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MARCUS AURELIUS

• on the southern face
• another barbarian chief surrenders,
• prisoners are shown being led to the Emperor,
• in the next panel Trajan is seen addressing his
  troops,
• in the last panel Constantine conducts a
  sacrifice with them.

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FROM CONSTANTINES TIME

• in the spandrels above the arches are winged
  Victories, River gods and
  Seasons .
• the column bases have upright Victories on the
  front barbarians captives on the
  side.

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FROM CONSTANTINES TIME

• two medallions on narrow east and west sides
• the west shows the personification of the moon in
  its chariots setting.
• the east sides shows the personification of the
  sun rising on in its chariot.

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FROM CONSTANTINES TIME

• the long narrow friezes above the side arches
  represent the episodes in Constantines life that
  led to his victory over Maxentius.
• on the north Constantine addresses his people
  (Oratio) in the Roman forum and distributes money
  to them (Donatio).
• on the east shows Constantine entering Rome
  victorious.
• the south shows the siege of Verona and the
  battle of the Milvian bridge where Maxentius
  died.
• the west side may show Constantine leaving Milan.

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THE SCULPTURE

• some heads (particularly Hadrians) have been
  re-cut to represent Constantine.
• some even have a nimbus (a ring of splendour) cut
  around them.
• the few reliefs made for the monument are
  recognisable for their hasty workmanship, stiff
  formality and lack of workmanship.

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HARMONY IS ACHIEVED BY

• depth of arch (7.4m) is the same as the height of
  the smaller arches.
• above the small arches, the extra inscriptions
  and decoration equals the height of the main arch
• the vault of the main arch begins at the same
  level as the top of the side arches.
• the curves of the roundels echo the curve of the
  archways.
• the horizontal is stress by the lines of the
  entablature, rectangular panels, and the column
  bases.

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ORATIO AS AN EXAMPLE OF CONSTANTINEAN ART

• shows (a damaged) Constantine in the middle of a
  group of senators and officials.
• on either side of the ground level are a group of
  Roman citizens wearing tunics with another row of
  heads behind them to indicate depth.
• some are talking among themselves and others are
  children.
• Constantine is central, raised above the others
  and the centre of attention.
• drapery is rudimentary and not revealing of the
  body beneath with deep straight lines instead of
  curves.