The Stavelot Reliquary: Detail, Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Circa 1156
Champlevé and cloisonné on copper gilt
Morgan Library, New York

This is the middle medallion on the inner face of the left wing of the triptych. At the Milvian Bridge, north of Rome, Constantine defeated Maxentius, one of the rivals for recognition as Emperor in the West. He is said to have believed that it was Christ who gave him the victory, and he later became a Christian. The inner medallions of the left panel illustrate his story, while those on the right are based on the legend of his mother's discovery of the "True Cross" on which Jesus was crucified.

Constantine's army fills the left and center; its spears crowd Maxentius's army out toward the right – a nice way to express movement without abandoning the still calm of the overall composition. Among the many horizontal spears of the victors is one cross, held at about 40°. There is a lower register with two dead bodies.

View the entire triptych.

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