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Portraitkopf des Kaisers Konstantin I.

ca. 325–370 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 169
Um die Gründung einer neuen Dynastie zu befördern, gründete der erste christliche Kaiser Konstantin der Große (Regentschaft 306-37 n. Chr.) eine neue Hauptstadt des Römischen Reiches, die er nach sich selbst Konstantinopel nannte. Als dieser Kopf, entweder als Teil einer Büste oder, wahrscheinlicher, einer überlebensgroßen Statue, erstellt wurde, hatte Konstantin eine offizielle Darstellungsform seiner selbst übernommen, die ihn von seinen heidnischen Vorgängern abheben sollte. Das lange Gesicht, die sorgfältige Frisur und das glattrasierte Gesicht dieses Portraitkopfes geben den bewussten Versuch wieder, Erinnerungen an die frühen „Gottkaiser", wie Augustus (Regentschaft 28 v. Chr. – 14 n. Chr.)oder Trajan (Regentschaft 98 – 117 n. Chr.), heraufzubeschwören.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Titel: Portraitkopf des Kaisers Konstantin I.
  • Zeitraum: Späte Kaiserzeit
  • Datum: ca. 325–70 n. Chr.
  • Kultur: Römisch
  • Medium: Marmor
  • Dimensionen: H: 95,3 cm
  • Anerkennung: Aus dem Nachlass von Mary Clark Thompson 1923
  • Akzession Nr.: 26.229
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

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Cover Image for 1203. Marble portrait head of the Emperor Constantine I

1203. Marble portrait head of the Emperor Constantine I

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Here is Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome. He reigned from A.D. 305 to 337, and has rightly been called the most important emperor of Late Antiquity. Constantine reunified the Roman Empire, established a new dynasty, and founded a new capital at Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul.

This colossal head probably surmounted an enormous statue of the emperor. Constantine carefully constructed his official portrait to evoke memories of the past, good Roman emperors. Notice the emperor’s long face, neatly arranged hairstyle, and clean-shaven appearance.

These features deliberately call to mind portraits of the Emperor Trajan, who ruled between A.D. 98 and 117. In the fourth century, Trajan was revered as the ideal, good emperor whom Constantine and his successors hoped to emulate.

You’ve probably noticed that the Emperor Constantine does not look straight at us. Rather, like most of his portraits in stone and on coins, he gazes up to heaven. In this way, he signifies himself as a subordinate to God. Christianity played an essential role in Constantine’s personal life and achievements. His reign laid the foundation for the transformation of the ancient, pagan world into the Christian Middle Ages.

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