Colossal statue of Constantine: head

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This magnificent head is a stunning fragment from an enormous seated statue of Constantine, towering nearly 30 feet high above all else. The body was constructed with less expensive materials, while the exposed parts (head, hands, feet) were carved from gleaming marble. Just like colossal statues of gods placed proudly in Greek temples, this magnificent statue of the Emperor was originally situated in the west apse of the Basilica Nova of Maxentius and Constantine in the Roman Forum. Renowned art historian Jas Elsner notes that this work boldly broke with the earlier tradition of depicting the authoritative figure with a majestic beard. (See, for instance, the group sculpture of the Tetrarchs, where only the younger "caesars" are beardless.) He further points out that earlier portraits of Constantine did depict him sporting a neatly trimmed beard; here he is refreshingly beardless, embodying the archetypal Roman general from a bygone era, a new Augustus, a new Trajan. Stylistically, this image still retains some unique elements of individualized portraiture (the hooked nose, for example); at the same time it masterfully illustrates the prevailing trends in late Roman works to focus on symbolic and abstracted elements: the powerful "image" of authority or the profound "image" of spirituality, as eloquently conveyed by the large otherworldly eyes.