Bernard Picart (c. 1673–1733) based this ink vignette study on a pre-existing work by the master painter, Charles Le Brun (c. 1619–1690). Featured in Charles Le Brun’s artwork and Picart’s study are depictions of ancient Roman cavalrymen engaging in battle. As the title of the artwork gives away, the scene is meant to portray fighting that occurred at the ancient Battle of Milvian Bridge. This was a key military achievement from the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337), and the battle served as a milestone for both political and religious reasons. The Battle, which occurred in 312, was the final showdown between Constantine and a rival named Maxentius (r. 306-312) that would determine which Roman ruler was dominant in the Western Roman Empire. It was also the moment that Constantine began to more clearly present the Christian God as his personal patron deity.
According to legend, Constantine saw a miraculous Christian symbol, called a labarum, floating in the sky during the prelude to the battle at Milvian Bridge and he had the impression that adopting this symbol as his battle standard would help his odds at the upcoming fight. This legend was recorded by the emperor’s biographer, Eusebius (c. 260-339), who described the memorable episode in his Life of Constantine, writing, “He [Constantine] said that about mid-day, when the sun was beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. At this sight he himself was struck by amazement, and his whole army also, which happened to be following him on some expedition, and witnessed the miracle” (Eusebius, Life of Constantine, I.28). As for how this religious labarum symbol looked—or at least Constantine’s spruced up iterations of it— Eusebius described the symbol in great detail. He wrote:
“A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a piece transversely laid over it. On top of the whole was fixed a crown, formed by the intertexture of gold and precious stones; and on this, two letters indicating the name of Christ, symbolized the Saviour’s title by means of its first characters, the letter P being intersected by X exactly in its center…From the transverse piece which crossed the spear was suspended a kind of streamer of purple cloth, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder” (Life of Constantine, I.31).
After adopting this new symbol and placing it on his army’s battle standards and shields, Constantine would go on to defeat Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge and consequently became master of the Western Roman Empire. Meanwhile, in the eastern section of the empire, Constantine’s ally, Licinius (r. 308-324), overthrew another rival named Maximinus (r. 310-313). Finally, Constantine went on to conquer Licinius’ realm in 324, reunifying the Roman Empire under one emperor.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The Life of Constantine by Eusebius, published by Samuel Bagster and Sons and J. Werthrimer and Co., 1843.
- Eusebius, The Church History: A New Translation with Commentary, translated by Paul L. Maier. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1999.
- The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, edited by Oliver Nicholson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Constantine-I-Roman-emperor
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/817132
