Close to the south door of York Minster is a sculpture of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It has featured before in our project - http://365project.org/fishers/365/2020-06-13 - but this time I have looked more closely at his head.
It is an appropriate site for a his sculpture, since the Minster is built above the ruins of the Roman military headquarters, and it was in York that his soldiers proclaimed him Emperor after the death of his father.
There is also a bust of Constantine in the Yorkshire Museum, which is double lifesize, and the only surviving part of a statue created in the 2nd century and remodelled in 306AD. It was found in Stonegate around 1823, so it was located quite close to the modern sculpture.
This is the historical summary that I included with the previous post "Constantine came to Britain with his father, the emperor Constantius, in 305. Constantius died in July the following year in York. The system of succession at the time demanded that another Caesar should become emperor but the soldiers in York immediately proclaimed Constantine their leader. It proved to be a pivotal moment in history. He is known as Constantine the Great for very good reasons.
After three generations of political fragmentation, Constantine united the whole of the Roman Empire under one ruler. By 324 he had extended his power and was sole emperor, restoring stability and security to the Roman world.
Constantine was the first Emperor to become a Christian, at a time when Christianity was a minor faith in the Roman empire and when Christians were persecuted. His faith led to the end of persecution and a major growth of Christianity.
This bronze statue of Constantine the Great was commissioned by York Civic Trust to commemorate his accession as Roman Emperor in AD306. It was designed by Philip Jackson, placed near the south transept of the Minster and unveiled in 1998."
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
York has relatively few modern sculptures, but the Yorkshire Museum shows what an extensive collection there have been in the past.
Ian
Thank you Monica, I rather like him!
Ian
Thanks for sharing
Thank you Nina - I find the Roman history of York, and of Constantine, quite fascinating.
Ian