The Colossus of Constantine
The Colossus of Constantine was a massive sculptured statue of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (280–337) that once stood near the Forum Romanum in Rome. Large broken portions of the Colossus are now on display at the Capitoline Museums.
Constantine was the first Christian emperor of Rome, and he had a profound effect on the development of the Roman and Byzantine world. After reunifying the empire, he established a new dynasty and founded a new capital, named Constantinople after himself. Christianity played an essential role in Constantine’s rule and his initiatives for reform and renewal in the Roman Empire.
Large Fragments from The Colossus of Constantine statue
The Colossus was dismantled and pillaged sometime in late Antiquity. The more significant marble portions of the statue were rediscovered in 1486. The large head was carved in a typical Constantinian style of late Roman portrait statues, whereas the other body parts are more naturalistic.
The fragments on display include the right arm with an elbow, the head, the right kneecap, a right hand, the left shin, the right foot, the left kneecap and the left foot. The statute appears to have been re-worked, in the later part of Constantine’s reign and the hand containing an imperial sceptre was replaced a hand holding a Christian symbol. Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to adopt Christianity as the Empire’s official religion.
These fragments were removed from the Basilica at the Roman Forum and placed in the nearby Palazzo by Michelangelo, who was working actively in the vicinity. As with the Laocoön statue, these fragments fed Michelangelo’s imagination and his work.
The Pointing Finger from The Colossus of Constantine was examined in detail by Michelangelo
Did the massive finger from the “Colossus of Constantine” play an inspirational role in the painting of God’s finger in the “Creation of Adam” fresco painted by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling at the Vatican?
“Creation of Adam” fresco painted by Michelangelo
Exploring Sculpture
- Popular Sculpture
Reflections
- What do these colossal sculptures tell us about the power of ancient rulers?
- What inspired Emperor Constantine to adopt Christianity after so much Ancient Roman opposition of Christianity?
- Did this statue inspire Michelangelo’s masterpiece of God’s finger in the “Creation of Adam” fresco?
The Colossus of Constantine
- Title: The Colossus of Constantine
- Made: 312–315 AD
- Rediscovered: 1486
- Material: White marble, brick, wood, gilded bronze
- Museums: Capitoline Museums
Explore European Museums
France Museums
Paris Museums
- The Louvre – Musée du Louvre
- Musée National du Moyen Age
- Musée d’Orsay
- Musée Rodin
Italy Museums
Rome Museums
- The Vatican Museums
- Capitoline Museums
Florence
- Uffizi Gallery
Milan
- Santa Maria Delle Grazie
Greece Museums
Athens
- Acropolis Museum
- National Archaeological Museum
- Benaki Museum
- Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art
- Byzantine and Christian Museum
- Hellenic Motor Museum
- National Historical Museum, Athens
- Museum of the Ancient Agora
- Syntagma Metro Station Archaeological Collection
- Numismatic Museum of Athens
- Athens War Museum
- Jewish Museum of Greece
- Athens University Museum
Athens Historical Sites
- Acropolis of Athens
- Ancient Agora of Athens
- Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens
- Roman Agora
- Temple of Poseidon at Sounion
- Temple of Hephaestus
- Roman Baths, Athens
- Aristotle’s Lyceum
Thessaloniki Museums
- Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
- Museum for the Macedonian Struggle (Thessaloniki)
- Atatürk Museum
- War Museum of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki Historical Sites
- Roman
- Triumphal Arch of Galerius
- Early Christian and Byzantine Monuments
- Catacombs of St. John the Baptist
- Church of Metamorphosis tou Sotiros
- Church of the Acheiropoietos
- Ottoman
- Bey Hamam
- Bezesteni Market
- White Tower of Thessaloniki
- Post-Byzantine
- Trigonion Tower
Delphi Museums and Historical Sites
- Delphi Archaeological Museum
Delphi Historical Sites
- Athena Pronaia Sanctuary
- Archaeological Site of Delphi
- Temple of Apollo (Delphi)
- Athenian Treasury
- Stoa of the Athenians
- Theatre at Delphi
- Tholos of Delphi
- Manumission Inscriptions at Delphi
- Delphic Maxims
Delos Museums and Historical Sites
- Archaeological Museum of Delos
- Temple of the Delians
- House of the Lake
- Delos – Photo Gallery
Santorini Museums
- Museum of Prehistoric Thera
- Archaeological Museum of Thera
- Maritime Museum, Santorini
Thera Historical Site
- Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Olympia Museums and Historical Sites
- Archaeological Museum of Olympia
- Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity
- Olympia Archaeological Site
- Temple of Hera, Olympia
- Temple of Zeus, Olympia
- Philippeion, Olympia
- Stadium at Olympia
Corinth Museums and Historical Site
- Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth
- Archaeological Site of Ancient Corinth and the Temple of Apollo
Mycenae Museum and Historical Site
- Archaeological Museum of Mycenae
- Lion Gate
- Ancient Mycenae – Photo Gallery
Epidaurus Museum & Historic Site
- Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus
- Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Heraklion, Crete Museum & Historic Site
- Knossos Archaeological Site
- Archaeological Musem of Heraklion
Meteora Historic Site
- Meteora Monasteries
Milos Museum & Historic Site
- Milos Historical Sites
- Milos Museum
Mystras Historic Site
- Fortified Medieval Mystras
- Saint Theodoroi Church, Mystras
Pella Museum & Historic Site
- Archaeological Museum of Pella
- Archaeological Site of Pella
Germany Museums
Berlin
- The Pergamon Museum
- Neues Museum
- Altes Museum
- Alte Nationalgalerie – National Gallery (Berlin)
- Bode Museum
- Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
- Spy Museum Berlin
- Jewish Museum, Berlin
- Deutsches Historisches Museum – German Historical Museum
- DDR Museum
Austria Museums
Vienna
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Österreichische Galerie Belvedere
Ireland Museums
Dublin
- National Gallery of Ireland
Netherlands Museums
Amsterdam
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh Museum
The Hague
- Mauritshuis
Spain Museums
Madrid
- Prado Museum, Museo del Prado
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Belgium Museums
Brussels
- Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Serbia Museums
Belgrade
- National Museum of Serbia
Poland Museums
Warsaw
- National Museum, Warsaw
Switzerland Museums
Zürich
- Kunsthaus Zürich
Czech Museums
Prague
- National Gallery in Prague
Norway Museums
Oslo
- National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
~~~
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
– Marcus Aurelius
~~~
Photo Credit: I, Jean-Christophe BENOIST [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons 2) User: (WT-shared) Jtesla16 at wts wikivoyage [CC BY-SA 1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 3) CC BY 2.0, Link 4) See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 4) Michelangelo [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons