Open Seminar: Alexander in Art: the Legend and his Legacy

Location: The Delphi Bank Mezzanine, The Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Date: THURSDAY 1/8/2019 @ 7:00pm
Presenters: Dr Roslynne Bell

Language of Presentation: English | R.M.L.G.*: 0 - No knowledge of Greek required.
Entry: FREE

Synopsis

Few figures had a more profound impact on the iconography of rulers and royalty in antiquity and in the centuries that followed than Alexander the Great. During his lifetime, Alexander's image became synonymous with power, military conquest, and divine patronage. After his death, depictions of the Macedonian king remained resonant, culminating in his transformation from historical figure into legendary-mythic hero. In this talk we shall consider the evolution of Alexander's image, looking not just at the works that bring us closest to the conqueror in life, but also at Alexander's artistic legacy, from Hellenistic and Roman responses to the Macedonian king to his later transformations, e.g., in the medieval Alexander Romance, and in the artistic traditions of Persia and Iran.

Bio

Dr Roslynne Bell is currently an Associate Research Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne. Before this she taught a range of courses in Greek and Roman art and archaeology, first in the Classics department at the University of Canterbury, NZ, and more recently at the University of Manchester, UK, where she held a joint lectureship in the departments of Archaeology and Classics. She’s also been an Honorary Academic Curator of the Greek and Roman Collections at the Manchester Museum, and a research fellow at the British School at Rome.

Her research is largely in the field of Roman art and the topography of ancient Rome with her latest publication Image and Identity: Augustus and the Cult of the Magna Mater (Oxford University Press) coming out soon.  She also has a great love of Greek art, which began at the University of Canterbury where, for 11 years, she held the role of curator of the James Logie Memorial Collection of Classical Antiquities

Sponsors

We thank the following donors for making this seminar possible: Efstratia Papadopoulou.

During the course of the year considerable expenses are incurred in staging the seminars. In order to mitigate these costs individuals or organisations are invited to donate against a lecture of their choice.

You too can donate for one or more seminars and (optionally) let your name or brand be known as a patron of culture to our members, visitors and followers, as well as the broader artistic and cultural community of Melbourne. Please email: info@greekcommunity.com.au or call 03 9662 2722.

We also thank the following corporate sponsors: