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The Arch of Constantine
Fouquet, Jean-Pierre, born 1752 - died 1829 - Enlarge image
The Arch of Constantine
- Object:
Architectural model
- Place of origin:
Paris, France (made)
- Date:
ca. 1820-1829 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Fouquet, Jean-Pierre, born 1752 - died 1829 (probably, maker)
Fouquet, François, born 1787 - died 1870 (probably, made) - Materials and Techniques:
Plaster on a metal armature and wooden base
- Museum number:
CIRC.215-1916
- Gallery location:
Architecture, room 128, case 3, shelf 1
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.
