MOC: Arch of Constantine

[DeanFS]

I've been very interested in some of the old Roman imperial structures, and I found the design and story behind the Arch of Constantine particularly interesting. Many will note the similarity to the Arc De Triomphe in France, and this is because they are both triumphal arches - but the Constantine Arch is over 1500 years older. In order to memorialize and capitalize off of military victories in particular, triumphal arches were constructed over roads which served as constant reminders to the citizens forced to pass under them. In the Civilization game series, the project National Epic is manifested as a triumphal arch. As one of the latest triumphal arches in Rome, the Constantine Arch is considered to be a preeminent example of the architectural style, including advanced construction techniques and reclaiming parts from many older Roman monuments. While many arches are now among ruins and unkept locations, The Constantine Arch occupies a relatively central location in Rome.

The first thing you'll notice is the use of both yellowed old grey and light 'bley' elements. My limited collection required that I use both colors - and some keen eyes might be able to pick out a few errant tan and dark bley elements I had to use as well. I tried to arrange like colors together and place the yellowed and tan/dark bley colors in such a way to imply weathering and shadows instead.

Early on, I decided to use the panels to bulk up the base of the model, and the arch dimensions were chosen to allow for more detail, at the expense of an accurate arch resolution. The columns and the statues at the top of the columns were constant problems and I'm still not satisfied with the statues (I briefly used half technic pins to imply statues, but it looked confusing more than anything else). I'm also unhappy with the dimensions of the jettied platform that spans the unit right below the "statues" but I opted for detail rather than proper dimensions here as well.

Here is the original, and a link to the Wikipedia page on the arch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Constantine

This is my first (adult) MOC and my first post, so I welcome suggestions and criticism!

Edited April 25, 2012 by Rufus
Indexed

[The Joker1]

For a small biuld this is very realistic well done.

[DeanFS]

More Pictures here:

[JackJonespaw]

This looks nice! If you fix the clashing of light bley and light gray, this MOC will be golden!