Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern

Mary Beard's book Twelve Caesars explores how portraits of Roman emperors have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for over 2,000 years, featuring works by artists from Memling and Mantegna to Edmonia Lewis and Henry VIIIs Caesarian tapestries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press

From the bestselling author of SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, comes the captivating tale of how images of Roman autocrats have shaped art, culture, and the representation of power for over two thousand years. In this thought-provoking book, Mary Beard delves into the intricate relationship between portraiture and power, exploring the enduring influence of Roman emperors on the art world.

Twelve Caesars takes readers on a journey through 2,000 years of art and cultural history, offering a fresh perspective on works by artists ranging from the Renaissance masters to nineteenth-century American sculptors. Beard's meticulously researched book uncovers the surprising story of how the image of Roman emperors has evolved, from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian.

Rather than a mere repetition of stable, blandly conservative images of imperial men and women, Twelve Caesars presents an unexpected narrative of changing identities, deliberate misidentifications, fakes, and often ambivalent representations of authority. Through her reconstruction of Titian's extraordinary lost Room of the Emperors and her reinterpretation of Henry VIIIs famous Caesarian tapestries, Beard offers fascinating detective work and weaves a gripping story of some of the most challenging periods in art history.

In conclusion, Twelve Caesars is a must-read for anyone interested in art, history, and the power dynamics that have shaped human civilization. Beard's insightful analysis and captivating storytelling make this book a valuable contribution to the field, offering a fresh perspective on the enduring legacy of Roman emperors on the art world.

Weight: 790g
Dimension: 179 x 249 x 43 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691222363