Aelius Publishing

Book covers

From character and city to the cracked phone: the visual journey of The Exile of Antinous.

From the author’s archive

The story of the covers

Before reaching its final identity, the novel went through several visual explorations. The early concepts sought to represent the character directly, the geographical displacement, and the relationship between the contemporary world and the classical figure of Antinous. Over time, the design evolved toward a more conceptual synthesis: beauty, digital exposure, fracture and risk.

The stages follow the order of the author’s archive

Character and Antinous

Unpublished prototype

Exile and contrast

Unpublished prototype

Figure and city

Unpublished prototype

A geography of exile

Published prototype

Toward a synthesis

Unpublished prototype

The published cover

Published prototype

Adding the subtitle

Published prototype

The Exile of Antinous

Antinous and Antonio

Proposed editorial reading for review

The dialogue between these images can be read through the author’s explanation: beauty invites a gaze, but does not guarantee understanding or protection. The statue preserves a form; the screen puts it into circulation. Antonio belongs to that contemporary world of exposure. Antinous accompanies the question of the person behind an image, without turning Antonio into a repetition of the myth.

Read the preface

Proposed editorial reading for review

The chosen composition

The archive describes the result as a synthesis of classical beauty, digital identity and contemporary fragility. The following observations propose a reading of its elements; they do not attribute new symbolism to the author.

The phone: It provides the visible frame for the figure. Its connection to social media and digital exposure is supported by the preface.
The cracked screen: Fracture is part of the original account of the process. Golden lines make the break visible.
The statue: The classical face inhabits a contemporary screen. The preface sustains this dialogue between the endurance of an image and a person’s vulnerability.
Color: Ivory, aqua, teal, terracotta and gold organize the composition and retain Aelius’s visual vocabulary. No undocumented authorial meaning is assigned to an individual color.
Typography: The serif title and author’s name establish the reading hierarchy. The October revision places the golden subtitle inside the screen.

The Exile of Antinous

The English reference cover

Reference cover for The Exile of Antinous. The English edition is in preparation and is not presented as already published.

Aelius Publishing

Promotional resources

A separate section for the recovered promotional pieces, banners and publisher identity. These images do not replace the stages of the creative process or represent additional commercial editions.

Promotional materials

**Editorial piece**
Material prepared for digital distribution and social media.

**Digital promotion**
Campaign graphic for digital platforms and communications.

**Book banner I**
Promotional asset for the English edition.

**Book banner II**
Horizontal graphic for editorial and social media promotion.

**Book banner III**
Alternative promotional composition for the English edition.

**Antinous**
Graphic resource developed as part of the novel’s visual identity.

**Antinous · composition I**
Panoramic resource for campaigns and digital publications.

**Antinous · composition II**
Panoramic variant for headers and digital materials.

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