The Birth of Portraiture and the Divine

To create a portrait is to perform an act of worship.

Join Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Professor of Classics and Ancient History, as he revisits the birth of portraiture in ancient Greece. Hear the story of how art originally designed to represent images of the immortal gods was transformed to capture the faces of mortal men and women.

This lecture explores key moments in the history of early portraiture and explores the tensions that resulted. What happens when the human supplants the divine?

Date: Thursday 29 May 2025
Time: 5:30–7:30pm
Location: Atrium, 308 Queen Street, UQ Brisbane City
Ticket price: $25 general entry. Your ticket includes light refreshments. 

This event is proudly presented by UQ Arts and Brisbane Portrait Prize.

Enquiries: engagement@hass.uq.edu.au

Banner image: Portrait Head of Aphrodite, 88.016, marble, Classical Greek from Attica, 400 – 350 BC.