Controversial Monuments: Personifying the Continents between the 18th and 21st Centuries offers a sweeping exploration of the iconography of the Four Continents, tracing its evolution from origins in Antiquity through early modern religious and imperial frameworks to contemporary artistic reinterpretations. Through richly illustrated case studies spanning pulpits, frescoes, sculptures, maps, and world fair displays, the book reveals how these personifications perpetuated Eurocentric worldviews, racial hierarchies, and colonial ideologies across centuries. Featuring contributions from leading scholars, it unpacks the symbolic power and persistent influence of this imagery while also highlighting how contemporary artists are critically engaging with, subverting, and reshaping these historic visual traditions for the 21st century.

Contributors are: Louise Arizzoli, Renée Ater, Maryanne Cline Horowitz, Elisa Antonietta Daniele, Catherine Dossin, Charles Forsdick, Daniel Fulco, Maria P. Gindhart, Paul Kaplan, Hoyon Mephokee, Anne Pingeot, Marion Romberg, Wolfgang Schmale, and Chet Van Duzer.