Faces of Power

Alexander the Great changed the face of the ancient world. During his life and after his death, his image in works of art exerted an unprecedented influenceon marbles, bronzes, ivories, frescoes, mosaics, coins, medals, even painted pottery and reliefware. Alexander's physiognomy became the most famous in history. But can we really know what meaning lies behind these images? Andrew Stewart demonstrates that these portraitswildly divergent in character, quality, type, provenance, date, and purposeactually transmit not so much a likeness of Alexander as a set of carefully crafted clichs that mobilize the notion "Alexander" for diverse ends and diverse audiences. Stewart discusses the portraits as studies in power and his original interpretation of them gives unprecedented fullness and shape to the idea and image called "Alexander."

What do Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, and Ray Kroc, the man who created the McDonald's franchise enterprise, have in common? They have all mastered the skills of creative genius-essential tools in today's business climate.

Images of Power and Decline