Power of Images/images of Power

In 1987, Paul Zanker, starting with the then highly topical theme of the power of images, published Augustus und die Macht der Bilder, in which he systematised the various elements of Augustan propaganda (images, literature, art, architecture, etc.). Shortly afterwards, David Freedberg, making use of neuroscience studies, in turn published The Power of Images: Studies in the History and Theory of Response in which, in opposition to Walter Benjamin or Susan Sontag, he proceeded to reconsider the meaning of the pervasiveness of images. More than thirty-five years later, the topic does not seem to have lost its topical relevance, representing one of the most active lines of research in the Western world. The PhD course, which includes speakers from various fields (from archaeology to comparative literature), aims to explore the relevance of this theme in various directions.