Portraits

portraits

Quintus Fabius Cunctator: a general who stands askew in the pantheon of Roman heroes

He may have failed to gain a decisive victory over Hannibal but the consul, nicknamed ‘the hesitator,’ is proof that watchful waiting sometimes pays off.

James Darnton June 8, 2023

portraits

Cyprian Ekwensi: Lagos life in the raw

Today, more than half of Africans live in cities. The Nigerian writer Cyprian Ekwensi became the first, and arguably the best, chronicler of their difficult, glamorous and twisted ..

Richard Assheton May 3, 2023

portraits

Antonio Greppi — architect of enlightened absolutism

Antonio Greppi took a leading role in the reform of taxation under the Habsburg monarchy. He changed the system from within, improving the lives of his fellow citizens.

Guido G. Beduschi April 13, 2023

portraits

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca – conquistador brawler turned defender of Indigenous American Rights

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a hopeless conquistador but he became one of the most notable European advocates for Indigenous peoples.

Andrea Valentino March 16, 2023

portraits

Simon Leys — the cosmopolitan scholar who broke the rules of Sinology

The spiritedly rebellious work of the scholar and aesthete remains an invaluable guide to the politics of China half a century after he first challenged the bland orthodoxies of Si..

Michael Sheridan March 3, 2023

portraits

Irina Ratushinskaya — Soviet dissident who fought the good fight

The Odesa-born writer has valuable lessons to teach the twenty-first century: lessons about the value of freedom and the price required to establish and maintain it.

Elisabeth Braw February 13, 2023

portraits

Kon Satoshi — animator of unmatched talent

During the late 1990s to mid-2000s, when Kon Satoshi created all of his works, feature animation in Japan was mostly dominated by adaptations of manga, sequels of TV anime, or film..

Shiro Yoshioka February 2, 2023

portraits

Rudolf II: Habsburg hoarder, failed leader and Renaissance collector

The reclusive Habsburg ruler’s vast array of possessions occupied the fascinating and uncertain zone between collection and clutter.

Anna Parker January 19, 2023

portraits

Bertha Benz — the PR pioneer who introduced the world to the car

Tired of her husband's endless tinkering, Bertha Benz undertook the first long-distance journey in an automobile demonstrating its revolutionary potential.

Bryan Appleyard January 6, 2023