Mistaken Identities

Bottom Image Source:
Delaroche, Hippolyte-Paul. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. 1850. Oil on canvas, 279.4 x 214.5 cm. Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool, United Kingdom. Accessed from Wikimedia Commons. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pa....

Top Image Source:
David, Jacques-Louis. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. 1800. Oil on canvas, 261 x 221 cm. Château de Malmaison. Rueil-Malmaison, France. Accessed from Smarthistory. smarthistory.org/jacques-loui....

Napoleon crossing the Alps in May 1800 as portrayed by two different artists.

History of measles vaccination Measles is one of the most contagious diseases humans have ever faced. An ancient disease, it was described as early as the 9th century by Persian physician and scholar Abū Bakr Muhammad Zakariyyā Rāz...

Image Source:
Behzad, Hossein. "Rhazes, a physician, examines a boy." 1894–1968. World Health Organization. Accessed March 21, 2025. dev-cms.who.int/news-room/sp....

Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, a Persian physician and scholar, gave the first description of measles as separate from smallpox around the year 900.

Willkommen in den Sammlungen der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin! Diese Website bietet Ihnen unabhängig von Zeit und Ort den Einstieg in die Sammlungen mit ihren Objekten und Werken – auch dann, wenn diese gerade nicht ausgestellt sind.

Image Source:
"Hausaltar: Echnaton, Nofretete und drei ihrer Töchter unter dem Strahlenaton." 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, Egypt. Relief (stele), 33.5 x 39.5 x 3.5 cm. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung. Accessed March 19, 2025. recherche.smb.museum/detail/60713....

Amarna style art of Pharaoh Akhenaten, his wife Nefertiti, and three of their daughters being bathed in the light of the god Aten.

Augustus of Prima Porta The Roman statue known as the “Augustus of Prima Porta” is a remarkably powerful piece of Early Imperial “propaganda”.

Image Source:
Brouwers, Josho. “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Ancient World Magazine. January 8, 2018. www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/aug....

"Augustus of Prima Porta" - Iconic Portrait of Rome's First Emperor Discover the Original Statue ✔ The Style of the Sculpture ✔ The Location of the Artwork ✔ Frequently Asked Questions ✔

Info Source:
Meyer, Isabella. ““Augustus of Prima Porta” – Iconic Portrait of Rome’s First Emperor.” Art in Context. Last modified August 1, 2023. artincontext.org/augustus-of-....

Combining real and idealized features, the ‘Augustus of Prima Porta’ shows Augustus Caesar as a heroic figure without looking fake. The detailed head makes the whole statue feel more trustworthy. Remember that a single accurate detail or fact does not automatically make a whole image or idea true!

Information Source:
Holliday, P. J. (2024). "The Death of General Wolfe". In - Power, Image, and Memory. Oxford University Press.

The Death of General Wolfe A painting from 1770 presenting the death of General Wolfe during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec. This battle was an important event during the Seven Years'...

Image Source:
West, B. (1770). The Death of General Wolfe [Painting]. World History Encyclopedia. www.worldhistory.org/image/14482/...

The Death of General Wolfe, by Benjamin West, places its story over historical accuracy. Surrounded by important figures who were not actually there, General Wolfe dramatically passes in a scene meant to glorify the events of this battle. What stories can you find within the photos and art of today?

Think of how images you see online may have been edited to change who they show.

Sources:
"William Shakespeare (formerly known as)." ca. 1770. Engraving. The Met. www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/...

McPhee, Constance. “Shakespeare Portrayed.” The Met. May 1, 2017. www.metmuseum.org/essays/shake...