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Art Talk Live: Erased!

A white marble sculpture depicts the head of a bearded man whose eyes, nose, mouth, and chin are partially destroyed or missing. The man’s beard and hair are ornately carved and textured, while his cheeks and forehead are smooth marble.
Bearded man, possibly Emperor Macrinus, Roman, Roman Imperial period, early to mid-3rd century CE. Luna marble. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Alpheus Hyatt Purchasing Fund, 1949.47.138.

Gallery Talk

This event was recorded. Please view the talk here.

Public images of rulers serve as potent symbols of power and propaganda. In ancient Rome, tyrannical emperors were deposed and assassinated, their likenesses defaced by angry citizens and sometimes by official decree.

This talk is part of a series investigating power dynamics in artworks across the collections. Considering intersections of art and power, our curatorial team discusses how artists engage with social and political crises, use art to upset systems of power, and imagine more equitable futures.

Led by:
Amy Brauer, Curator of the Collections, Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art

This free talk will take place online via Zoom. To join, follow this link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/99008469062 (pre-registration not required).

For instructions on how to join a meeting in Zoom, please click here.

Art Talks Live are presented via Zoom every other Thursday afternoon at 2pm and offer an up-close look at works from our collections with our team of curators, conservators, fellows, and graduate students.

Please visit our Harvard Art Museums from Home page for a full list of online programs and a rich array of digital content on offer while the museums are closed. Receive regular updates by subscribing to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.