Mary Beard

Elon Musk is wrong about the Roman Empire

14 December 2024 9:00 am

I was in Washington D.C. during The Election, living halfway between the Capitol and White House. Concerned friends suggested I…

Jacques-Louis David, emboldened by Madame Vigée Le Brun, included a smiling display of teeth in his portrait of Madame de Sériziat (1795)

How the smile came to Paris (briefly)

13 December 2014 9:00 am

In 1787 critics of the Paris Salon were scandalised by a painting exhibited by Mme Vigée Le Brun. The subject…