What Does The Face Of Power Look Like?

Artist Alejandro Amarez explores depictions of authority by superimposing paintings and photographs of consecutive leaders and rulers from a chunk of history into one single image for a photography series called Portraits of Power. The new composite images, formed from four to 40 official portraits layered on top of each other, allow for a fresh examination of the symbols in the portraiture of leadership, filtered through a slice of time. "Power always makes its presence known in one way or another. Leaders of a country, a kingdom, an empire reinforce their position and emphasize their dominance by putting before their subjects' eyes some image of themselves," writes art critic Vicki Goldberg for the project's description.

When the images of all the US presidents or the British prime ministers blur together, their individual accomplishments fade with them. The lack of women in power roles become glaringly evident. Seriousness and dignity pervades the portraits from the nineteenth century; only around 1960 does a smile crack through. And once in a while, a recognizable face or feature pops forward from this collage of historical visages: George Bush Senior's blue eyes, Margaret Thatcher's hair, and Kim Jong Il's glasses.

Examine Amarez's pictures of the "continuities of authority" below, and explore his full gallery.

h/t Slate