The Arch of Constantine thumbnail 1
The Arch of Constantine thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Architecture, Room 128

The Arch of Constantine

Architectural Model
ca. 1820-1829 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a model in plaster of the triumphal arch, known as the Arch of Constantine, in the grounds of the Coloseum, Piazzale del Colosseo in Rome. It was dedicated in AD 315, and commemorates the victory of the Emperor Constantine over Maxentius at the Milvian bridge on 28 October AD 312. This model was made in the nineteenth century probably by the Parisian father and son model-makers Jean-Pierre Fouquet and François Fouquet. Archaeological excavations carried out in Italy from the 1730s generated renewed interest in the buildings and monuments of ancient Greece and Rome, and folio editions and models of ancient buildings such as this were produced to fill the demand. Models of Roman arches like the one depicted here may have helped to inspire the architect John Nash (1752-1835) in his design for the Marble Arch in London. This particular model is especially intriguing as some of the relief panels have been inserted in a different sequence from that shown on the original arch.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleThe Arch of Constantine (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster on a metal armature and wooden base
Brief description
Model of the Arch of Constantine, by Jean-Pierre Fouquet and Francois Fouquet, France (Paris) about 1820-9
Physical description
Model of the Arch of Constantine. Plaster on metal armature and on wooden base
Dimensions
  • Height: 54cm
Subject depicted
Summary
This is a model in plaster of the triumphal arch, known as the Arch of Constantine, in the grounds of the Coloseum, Piazzale del Colosseo in Rome. It was dedicated in AD 315, and commemorates the victory of the Emperor Constantine over Maxentius at the Milvian bridge on 28 October AD 312. This model was made in the nineteenth century probably by the Parisian father and son model-makers Jean-Pierre Fouquet and François Fouquet. Archaeological excavations carried out in Italy from the 1730s generated renewed interest in the buildings and monuments of ancient Greece and Rome, and folio editions and models of ancient buildings such as this were produced to fill the demand. Models of Roman arches like the one depicted here may have helped to inspire the architect John Nash (1752-1835) in his design for the Marble Arch in London. This particular model is especially intriguing as some of the relief panels have been inserted in a different sequence from that shown on the original arch.
Bibliographic references
  • V&A Magazine. September-December 2002, p. 11.
  • Leslie, Fiona. Inside Outside: Changing Attitudes towards Architectural Modes in the Museums at South Kensington.Architectural History 47, 2004. pp. 159-200.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.215-1916

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Record createdAugust 5, 2003
Record URL
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