Constantine the Great Beholds the Sign of the Cross
After Gianlorenzo Bernini

Gallery 43,
European Baroque Art

Background

Constantine the Great (c.280-337) became Roman Emperor in 312 after defeating the Emperor Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on the Tiber in Rome. This sculpture depicts the moment before the battle, when Constantine is reputed to have seen a cross in the sky and heard a voice saying, 'By this sign shalt thou conquer.' As you can see, the cross itself is not shown, but you can imagine it just in front of the rearing horse.

As a result of the vision, it is said that Constantine carried the symbol of the cross at the top of his standard, replacing his previous symbol of the Roman Eagle. This therefore represents a significant moment in history, when Christianity became established within the iconography of the Roman Empire.

Baroque Art

Constantine the Great Beholds the Sign of the Cross comes under the broad category of 'Baroque Art.' The word 'Baroque' was used by 19th-century art historians to describe the art style which spread through Europe between c.1580 and the early 18th century. It appears to stem from the type of deformed pearl known as a barruca, and has come to mean a theatrical style, often with an element of the grotesque or the exaggerated.