Constantine Ordering the Destruction of the Pagan Idols

Constantine Ordering the Destruction of Pagan Idols, painted around 1636, was part of a cycle depicting the life of Emperor Constantine commissioned for the Palazzo Barberini in Rome. The subject of the first Christian emperor destroying pagan worship carried obvious political resonance for the Barberini papacy, which used Constantine's legacy to legitimize papal temporal power. Characteristic of Cortona's approach, the work displays exuberant illusionism, dynamic compositions, rich color, grand decorative schemes.

The large-scale composition employs Cortona's characteristic dynamic figure arrangements, with the emperor's commanding gesture creating a focal point amid the swirling action of idol destruction. Rich, saturated colors and dramatic contrasts of light serve the propagandistic force of the image.