The Family of Darius before Alexander the Great

Image credit: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

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Notes

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The family of the defeated Persian king, Darius, kneel before Alexander but mistakenly address their pleas to his companion, Hephaestion: Alexander displays modesty and magnanimity in his response (Quintus Curtius Rufus, 'History of Alexander' III, xii, 13–26). Bellucci's main source was the painting by Veronese for Ca' Pisani, Venice, now in the National Gallery. Traditionally this painting was assumed to have been painted in England, where Bellucci worked from 1716 to 1722. Some scholars have rightly argued it is stylistically incongruous for that period and have questioned or rejected the attribution. In fact, this painting is clearly an early work, probably for the portego or main reception room of a Venetian palace. Little is known of Bellucci's early career and patrons.

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Oxford

Title

The Family of Darius before Alexander the Great

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 213 x W 564 cm

Accession number

WA1854.2

Acquisition method

Presented by the Hon. G. C. Percival, 1854

Work type

Painting

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Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

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