How portraits and biographies shape our perception of the past
In short: We often rely on images and stories to connect with history, but these mediums can be as deceptive as they are illuminating. This lecture examines how we reconstruct the lives of the dead and how to critically evaluate those representations.
Professor Ludmilla Jordanova explores the symbiotic relationship between portraiture and biography in public history. By analyzing nineteenth-century British figures, she demonstrates how these two forms of media work together to bring historical figures to life while simultaneously risking distortion.
The lecture aims to provide a framework for being constructively critical of current historical practices. It challenges the viewer to look past the surface of public history to understand how the way we remember people influences our understanding of the past.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Portraits, Biographies and Public History
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