Power and propaganda in the large imperial cameos of the early Roman Empire

Abstract

"This study examines the five extant large Imperial cameos of the Early Roman Empire as a coherent whole, revealing that these gemstones were a referential group with complex interrelationships. Power and Propaganda in the Large Imperial Cameos of the Early Roman Empire offers a feminist theory that explains why large imperial cameos were in dialogue and why the medium appears with Octavian and disappears by the Flavian dynasty: female imperial family members commissioned them to advance their husbands and sons. Written for a general art historical audience and as a complement to emperor-commissioned public art, this volume is an introduction to large imperial cameos and reveals their importance for the understanding of Roman art and iconography and the implications of its theorized imperial female patronage. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, classics, and archaeology"--