Even an emperor has to live with himself.An emperor turns inward to examine the conduct of one man: himself. These private reflections on duty, change and self-discipline speak to the work of living well when events will not obey.
Marcus Aurelius's private reflections examine conduct, duty, change and the discipline of his own mind. Written by a ruler with responsibilities he could not simply set aside, they follow his effort to live well amid events he could not fully control. The focus repeatedly returns to his own judgment and responses. Readers encounter an emperor examining himself, considering how to meet obligations and remain responsible for his conduct when the circumstances around him will not obey his wishes.
Even an emperor has to live with himself.
Marcus AureliusExploratory edition concept
02MeditationsMarcus Aurelius
Space for reflection.
The proposed design explores how image, typography and space can support the work’s reflective pace.
Even an emperor has to live with himself.
Marcus AureliusExploratory edition concept
03MeditationsMarcus Aurelius
Building the edition.
A source text and translation, editorial material and physical format remain to be chosen for this edition concept.
Even an emperor has to live with himself.
Marcus AureliusExploratory edition concept
The catalogueEven an emperor has to live with himself.Exploratory edition concept
A considered edition of an enduring work.
Meditations is a candidate for Platinum Pegasus’s Illustrated Classics line. The proposed edition would present Marcus Aurelius’s work through original illustration, typography and a deliberate pace on the page.
The reading experience
The concept considers how images, space and the physical book can support the reader’s encounter with the text. The design and full illustration program are still to be shaped.
Developing the edition
A source text and translation, permissions, editorial material and final format must be selected before the edition can take shape. The project remains an exploration, with no release announced.
Detail from the cover concept
The visual identity
A quieter point of view.
The cover concept for Meditations. Explore the complete artwork at a larger size.
