The Conversion Of Constantine, 17th Century Aubusson Manufacture Tapestry - H2m12xl2m82, N° 1362

The Conversion of Constantine: In 312 AD, the Battle of the Milvian Bridge marked a decisive turning point for the Roman Empire and Christianity. At the gates of Rome, Constantine defeats Maxentius and is crowned emperor. His first decisions will be in favor of Christians with the end of persecution and the legalization of their religion. According to Constantinian and Christian legend, this pivotal victory is due to the scene depicted here. On the eve of the battle, Constantine and his men witness a miracle: Chrism appears to them in the sky. This Christian sign is composed of the first two Greek letters of the word “Christ”, that is to say the Ⲭ and the ρ intertwined (⳩). The army is frightened by this apparition and does not understand it at all. Only, that same evening, the future emperor dreams of the symbol again. This time, the latter is accompanied by a voice proclaiming: “by this you will overcome”. The next day, Constantine had the Chrism affixed to all the standards of his army and won the battle. Subsequently, he converted to Christianity and the entire Empire followed him. Here the tapestry addresses Constantine's first vision as he is accompanied by his army. The Chrism sits in the upper left corner, while the future emperor, already crowned and in armor, stares at him. His hands are raised in front of him in a typical surprised position. He even let go of his horse's reins, which were caught by a child. Following him, one of his soldiers grabbed an arrow from his back quiver, surely thinking of a threat. On the far right of the work, a man walks forward with his index finger raised, probably to explain the origin of the symbol. Just like humans, horses are agitated and frightened, they rear and neigh. However, Constantine is not so much worried as deeply surprised, perhaps he is already facing the Revelation: he is chosen by God to reign over the entire Roman Empire of the West and the East. LISSIER GALERIE House founded in 1991 MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF SNCAO Showroom in Paris 7th: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cleaning and restoration workshop for tapestries and rugs: by appointment only The Lissier Gallery, a stone's throw from the Tour Eiffel is a family business specializing in the purchase, sale and expertise of old, modern and contemporary tapestries, rugs, kilims and textiles. We work for private clients, amateurs, antique dealers, as well as French and international decorators. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our showroom in Paris 7th arrondissement. In our Parisian workshop, we carry out Restoration-Conservation and traditional cleaning work in order to protect heritage. Thanks to our workshop and also our know-how, we have a great honor and immense pleasure to present to you a sublime collection of woven works of art in perfect quality condition, well cleaned and revised, that is why our prices are the best on the market. We assure you of your purchase by presenting you with the invoice, the certificate of origin and also insured delivery offered throughout the world. Our tapestries will be presented lined and with a fixing system (Velcro on request). You have questions ? We are here for you, do not hesitate to send us a request from our website www.galerielissier.fr Kind regards Galerie Lissier 40 Avenue Bosquet, 75007-Paris Tel: +33 (0) 6.14.05.21.14