arthistry:

Fragments of the colossus of Constantine in Rome at the Capitolene Museum. The colossus&rsquo; face is thought to have been remodelled from its original form, which depicted the likeness of either the Emperor Hadrian or the Emperor Maxentius. The reworking and/or appropriation of old art was widespread in the middle ages. Not only did it save the commissioner a lot of money in terms of labour and materials; in many cases, the &lsquo;reborn&rsquo; art retained the connotations it originally held. For example, the colossus reworked into Constantine&rsquo;s likeness would have held implications of the power and prestige of the older Roman emperors. In depicting himself as a ruler of old, Constantine was telling his subjects he was akin to them in greatness. The term used to define re-used art is spolia (used from the sixteenth century onwards).
