Rome, Italy – A 4th century statue of Emperor Constantine has been recreated for Rome’s Capitoline Museum. The 13m high colossus was reconstructed using materials including polyurethane and marble dust.
Only a handful of marble fragments of the original statue remain, most of which are housed in the museum’s courtyard. The full-scale replica was created by the Factum Foundation for Digital Technology in Preservation, under the supervision of the museum’s superintendent of cultural heritage, and with funding from the Prada Foundation.
Careful study of the 10 remaining fragments led to the assumption that Constantine was seated in the statue, which was an acrolith – a white marble statue with the drapery in metal or golden stucco. Typical iconography of the time suggested that Constantine would be represented as Jupiter to highlight his divinity, with the upper part of his body uncovered, and a cloak draped over his shoulder. His right hand holds a sceptre, and the left a globe.