Historical Subject Painting

Oil on canvas. French school of the 17th century. The scene, set at night in the garden of a villa, of which the ornate facade can be glimpsed on the right and in which the gushing fountain with putti stands out, under a dark sky further obscured by heavy clouds, depicts two figures engaged in conversation: an elderly man dressed modestly is severely admonishing a richly dressed young man seated, who seems to be making a gesture of mea culpa with his hand. The physiognomy and gestures of the two characters, together with the style of the clothes, would refer to the philosopher Aristotle who was called to the court of Macedonia to be the tutor of the young Alexander, the future king later known as Alexander the Great: according to what Plutarch tells in his "Parallel Lives", the young Alexander was a brilliant student, so much so that he was also initiated into the deepest and most esoteric Aristotelian doctrines, from which would derive the aura of mystery and profound interiority that transpires in the work presented here. The painting has been restored and relined. It is presented in a period-style frame. The painting, restored. Frame dimensions (cm): Height: 90 Width: 125 Depth: 5 Work dimensions (cm): Height: 75 Width: 112 ARARPI0139265