Francesco Fontebasso, Alexander the Great, 1760, Oil on Canvas

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Francesco fontebasso (venice 1709 - venice 1769)

alexander the great grants mercy to the persians

oil on canvas
108 x … Read more Francesco fontebasso (venice 1709 - venice 1769)

alexander the great grants mercy to the persians

oil on canvas
108 x 153 cm - framed 120 x 164 cm.

full details of the work (click here)

remarkably captivating due to its compelling subject matter, this beautiful painting draws inspiration from the stories of conquest of the great alexander the great, portrayed granting mercy to a general of the defeated persian army.

detailing the refined composition, alexander is portrayed standing triumphantly, aware of his own glory, granting mercy to the people of persia, symbolically depicted here by two adversarial soldiers, one kneeling in submission and the other standing, held captive. The details of their armor are noteworthy, featuring lion heads, a long-standing persian symbol, in addition to the typical long sabers.

historically, we know that the battle of issus (333 bc) definitively gave alexander control of the largest empire ever created, forcing darius iii to flee and causing panic among the persian troops, who decided to side with alexander, begging for clemency.

alexander treated them with respect and, after swearing loyalty, incorporated them into his army, but always asserting his dominance: our author has immortalized this moment.

this is a valuable work, executed by an 18th-century venetian painter and attributed specifically to francesco fontebasso (venice, 1709–1769), a painter who addressed this theme on several occasions and a leading figure in the extraordinary 18th-century venetian painting season.

he trained in the workshop of sebastiano ricci, and then continued with stays in bologna and rome; following his return to venice, he was captivated by the impetuous chiaroscuro effects of the young giambattista tiepolo, whose influence would be evident throughout his work.

in his creation, fontebasso offers us a highly emotionally engaging work, both for the magnificence of the painting and for the subject matter. The subject reveals the magnanimity and clemency of the sovereign, who often welcomed conquered enemies with extreme respect.

the true poetry of the painting lies in the painter's mastery of descriptive detail, so much so that it arouses a sense of profound admiration in the viewer, captivated by the virtuosity of the technique, the profusion of detail, and the exceptional richness of the masterfully rendered uniform details.

good condition. Relined. The paint is in excellent condition, with some old restorations scattered across the surface.

additional information:

the images were created using a professional photographic set and lighting system.

the painting is sold complete with a beautiful gold frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .

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https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/ this piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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