Alexander the Great grants clemency to the Persians, Francesco Fontebasso (Venice 1709 – Venice 1769)

Francesco Fontebasso (Venice 1709 – Venice 1769)

Alexander the Great grants mercy to the Persians

Oil on canvas (108 x 153 cm. – In frame 120 x 164 cm.)

Of great charm for the interesting subject proposed, the beautiful painting draws inspiration from the stories of conquest of the great Alexander the Great, portrayed while granting clemency to a general of the defeated Persian army.

Going into the details of the refined composition, Alexander is portrayed standing with a triumphant air and aware of his own glory, while granting clemency to the people of Persia, here symbolically depicted by two military adversaries, one kneeling in a sign of submission and a second standing held prisoner. Interesting are the details of their armor, where lion heads stand out, a Persian symbol since always, in addition to the typical long sabers.

Historically we know that the battle of Issus (333 BC) definitively gave Alexander the predominance of the largest empire ever created, forcing Darius III to flee and causing panic among the Persian troops who decided to side with Alexander, asking for his clemency.

Alexander treated them with respect and, after having them swear allegiance, incorporated them into his army, but always imposing his dominance: our author has immortalised this moment.

This is a valuable work, executed by an 1709th-century Venetian painter and attributable precisely to Francesco Fontebasso (Venice, 1769 – XNUMX), a painter who addressed this theme on several occasions, a leading protagonist of the extraordinary pictorial season of XNUMXth-century Venice.

His training took place in the workshop of Sebastiano Ricci, and then continued with stays in Bologna and Rome; following his return to Venice he was won over by the impetuous style of the chiaroscuro effects of the young Giambattista Tiepolo, whose influence was evident throughout his production.

In his creation, Fontebasso gives us a work that is highly emotionally engaging, both for the magnificence of the painting and for the proposed theme. The subject in fact reveals the magnanimity and clemency of the sovereign who often welcomed conquered enemies with extreme consideration.

The true poetry of the painting is the mastery that the painter exercises in the descriptive details, so much so as to arouse in the spectator a sense of profound admiration, enraptured by the virtuosity of the technique, by the profusion of details, with the exceptional richness of the rendering of the details of the uniforms rendered with great mastery.

Good state of preservation. Relined. Paint material in excellent condition, with some old restorations scattered on the surface.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a pleasant golden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

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