Visual Depictions and Portraiture of Historical Figures

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou · May 22, 2019

JeanDukeofAlecon said:
Emperor Nikephoros Botaneiates and Maria of Alania, 1078-1081:

Fun fact: though he's depicted here as relatively young, with just a hint of gray hair above his chin, Botaneiates was actually 76 or 77 when he assumed the throne -- why a general in his mid 70's without sons decided to march on Constantinople and assume the burdens of state, who knows. Nikephoros with his ministers, from the same work:

Where are these located?

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou said:
Where are these located?

In the national library of France, currently -- link here (although the site seems to be down for maintenance at the moment). There are two other full-page portraits of the Emperor in the manuscript, though no further illuminations.

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou · May 22, 2019

A coin of Carausius, who ruled Britain and part of Gaul from 286 to 293. He is depicted alongside the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, who ruled the remainder of the empire. Carausius is on the left with the large, ugly nose, Diocletian is the centre with the aquiline nose, and Maximian is on the right with the snub nose. The obverse legend reads Carausius et Fratres Sui ('Carausius and His Brothers'). Carausius is presented as a colleague of Diocletian and Maximian, despite the fact that Diocletian and Maximian had not recognized him as emperor.

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

Basil II and Constantine VIII from the Bari Exultet Roll, produced in Southern Italy around c. 1000 AD:

commemoration-of-temporal-authority-miniature-from-the-exultet-of-illustration-id142451740

Basil II as triumphant general, late 10th or early 11th century:

This format -- holding sword and spear and crowned by Christ -- was subsequently imitated by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II (r. 1014-1020), although with relics replacing proper military impliments:

Eye of Woland · May 22, 2019

Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

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duncanness · May 22, 2019

I have this wonderful poster on one of the walls of my house: it has caricatures of all the Danish monarchs.

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

King Roger II of Sicily, 1140's or 1150's (from the Martorana in Palermo -- the text spells out "Rogerios Rex" in Greek letters):

The same king, but in an Arab-style painting, from the Palatine Chapel in the same city:

800px-Arabischer_Maler_der_Palastkapelle_in_Palermo_002.jpg

King William II of Sicily (from Monreale Cathedral, 1170's or 1180's):

800px-Dedication_mosaic_-_Cathedral_of_Monreale_-_Italy_2015_%28crop%29.JPG

King Peter II of Sicily, 1337-1342 (Messina Cathedral) -- a bit of a strange throwback to a centuries-lapsed tradition:

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou · May 22, 2019

Licinius (r. 308-324), with his creepy smile.

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

Charles I of Anjou, Count of Provence, Anjou, and Maine and King of Sicily, as Senator of Rome (head of the city's civil government, as position he held temporarily a few times), 1260's, 70's, or 80's:

The statue was carved by Arnolfo di Cambrio, and if I remember correctly was mounted over a gate somewhere in Rome (and is currently in the Capitoline Museum).

Openminded · May 22, 2019

Here are my favorites paintings of historical figures:

The death of Alcibiades

The assassin dressed in blue looks very distressed about throwing that spear at the great man himself

611px-La_mort_d%27Alcibiade_Philippe_Ch%C3%A9ry_1791.jpg

Plato and Aristotle

Plato points to the sky, Aristotle to the earth. Must have been an amazing conversation!

Napoleon's abdication

This painting epitomizes that proverbial "Fall of great men"

Belisarius the beggar

The shocked soldier recognizing his former general gives me goosebumps.

Socrates and Alcibiades

Perfect representation of Socrates' despair. That wanton Alcibiades!

Caesar crossing the Rubicon

An explosion of symbolism, and the Caesar grand as ever!

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

Saint Edmund the Martyr (King of East Anglia 855 to 869 or 870) as depicted in an illuminated biography of his life made c. 1130:

Openminded · May 22, 2019

Some of my favorite busts:

Pertinax

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Alcibiades

Marcus Aurelius

Hadrian

Alexander the Great

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

Julian "the Apostate" as philosopher, 360-363:

f

marble-emperor-julian-the-apostate-musee-de-cluny-edward-burchnall.jpg

A Solidus of Julian (the earliest example of a fully-developed "loros" style toga -- compare to many similar examples above):

Julian shown, ironically, wearing a toupha (triumphal crown of peacock feathers) while marching to Ctesiphon, as depicted in Basil I's illuminated Homilies of Gregory the Theologian, late 9th century:

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou · May 22, 2019

The captive Zenobia of Palmyra before Aurelian, by Tiepolo. It seems evident that Tiepolo used Cleopatra and Octavian as inspiration, since in reality Aurelian was a hardened soldier-emperor in his early 50s, not the youth depicted here.

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

King Leo II and Queen Keran of Cilician Armenia, 1270's and/or 1280's:

Niobe · May 22, 2019

Runa said:
But IMHO like a Janus head they show the two sides of his personality, the raw soldier and general who fought against the Gauls and who did not hesitate to grab a spade and dig with his men and the sleek and cynical aristocrat and politician.

This is such a nicely devised analogy!

Niobe · May 22, 2019

DiocletianIsBetterThanYou said:
Licinius (r. 308-324), with his creepy smile.

View attachment 19856

Absolutely............ terrifying!

JeanDukeofAlecon · May 22, 2019

Bagrat IV of Georgia, mid-11th century:

Bagrat_IV_%28Ateni_fresco%2C_11th_cent%29.jpg

George III of Georgia, late 12th century:

Giorgi_III_of_Georgia_%28Kintsvisi_monastery_fresco%29.jpg

Queen (eventually regnant) Tamar of Georgia and her father George III, late 12th or early 13th century(? George didn't make it past 1184, but I've seen the frescoes dated to that period so it's possible he was included postmortem):

depositphotos_44368435-stock-photo-vardzia-georgia-march-23-2014.jpg

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Tamar is one of the more underappreciated medieval monarchs -- a strong ruler who led her kingdom to the height of its prosperity, power, and influence -- although thankfully that seems to be changing; the Kingdom of Georgia during her reign:

Runa · May 22, 2019

Niobe said:
This is such a nicely devised analogy!

Thank You

Niobe · May 22, 2019

Openminded said:
Here are my favorites paintings of historical figures:

The death of Alcibiades

The assassin dressed in blue looks very distressed about throwing that spear at the great man himself

So beautiful... look at his hands on the spear and how delicately (beautifully) he holds it! The facial expressions are so evocative, but also the contrast of the attackers' with Alcibaides' and woman holding him up really parallels the sensibilities of the Classic Greek era... which isn't suprising, as the Romantic painters were enamored of them. Facial expressions that were full of emotion - distorted, grotesque - were associated with more base, beastial sort of beings... whereas the staid, calm expressions symbolized a soundness of mind, emotions kept in check by logic, etc.(ex: the Elgin Marbles Lapiths and Centaurs). So those lovely expressions show that the conflict and maliciousness within the attackers, perhaps also symbolizes their giving in to the lowest of human urges in killing Alcibiades.

Such a lovely painting... I'd never seen this one before - I'm totally adding it to the favorites stash that is eating into all my storage GBs. LOL.

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Visual Depictions and Portraiture of Historical Figures

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