Making a Great Ruler
Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania
9789637326585
378 pages
Amsterdam University Press
Overview
Investigating the propaganda surrounding the grand duke, this study reveals that, in fact, there were two opposite images: that of a good ruler and that of a tyrant. The paradox is that frequently these opposites were based on the same features of the grand duke's character or episodes from his biography. The research is based on a wide array of written and visual sources as well as on records of oral tradition. Rich and diverse primary materials are analysed from the perspectives of political and social history, memorial culture, as well as iconography and rhetoric.
Author Bio
Giedre Mickunaite focuses on temporal dimensions of pictorial and verbal imagery. She explores structures of cultural legacy and regards oblivion as a vehicle in production of late medieval and early modern culture. Since 2003, Mickunaite teaches and carries art historical research at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in Lithuania.
