''The Vision of the Cross'' is a painting made between 1520 and 1524 by assistants of the Italian renaissance artist Raphael. After the master's death in 1520,

Gianfrancesco Penni Gianfrancesco Penni (1488/1496–1528), also known as Giovan Francesco, was an Italian painter. His brother Bartolommeo was an artist of the Tudor court of Henry VIII, and another brother, Luca, ended up as one of the Italian artists of the Sch ...

, Giulio Romano and

Raffaellino del Colle Raffaellino del Colle (1490–1566) was an Italian Mannerist painter active mostly in Umbria. He was born in the frazione of Colle in Borgo Sansepolcro, province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. Biography He is also called ''Raffaellino della Colle'' ...

from Raphael's workshop worked together to finish the commission to decorate with

fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

es the rooms that are now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. ''The Vision of the Cross'' is located in the ''Sala di Costantino'' ("Hall of Constantine"). In the painting, emperor

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...

is seen just before the

Battle of the Milvian Bridge The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. Constantine won the battle and started on the pa ...

on October 27, 312. According to legend, a cross appeared to Constantine in the sky, after which as seen in the fresco and following

Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christia ...

Vita Constantini ''Life of Constantine the Great'' ( grc-gre, Βίος Μεγάλου Κωνσταντίνου; la, Vita Constantini) is a panegyric written in Greek in honor of Constantine the Great by Eusebius of Caesarea in the 4th century AD. It was never ...

'', he adopted the Greek motto "Εν τούτῳ νίκα", i.e. "By this, conquer", a motto that has been rendered in Latin as " In hoc signo vinces", i.e. "In this sign you shall conquer". This Mannerist painting is a crowded and confused melee and melange of images, including a dragon, a dwarf, two popes, and various symbols. Proportions among the soldiers appear confused, with some dwarfed by more distant figures.

References

*Peter J. Leithart. ''Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom.'' InterVarsity Press, Sep 24, 2010. pg. 71 {{DEFAULTSORT:Vision Of The Cross Raphael rooms 1524 paintings

See also

References