Francesco Fontebasso (Venice 1709 - Venice 1769)
Alexander the Great grants clemency to the Persians
Oil on canvas (108 x 153 cm - Framed 120 x 164 cm)
Of great charm due to the interesting subject, the beautiful painting draws inspiration from the conquest stories 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 glory, while granting clemency to the people of Persia, here symbolically depicted by two opposing soldiers, one kneeling in submission and a second standing held prisoner. The details of their armor are interesting, 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 swearing allegiance to him, incorporated them into his army, but always imposing his dominance: our author has immortalized this moment.
This is a valuable work, executed by a Venetian painter of the 18th century and precisely attributable to Francesco Fontebasso (Venice, 1709 - 1769), a painter who addressed this theme on several occasions, a prominent figure of the extraordinary pictorial season of the Venetian 18th century.
He trained in the workshop of Sebastiano Ricci, then continued with stays in Bologna and Rome; after his return to Venice, he was conquered by the impetuous flair of the chiaroscuro effects of the young Giambattista Tiepolo, whose influence will be evident throughout his production.
In his creation, Fontebasso gives us a work that is strongly emotionally engaging, both for the magnificence of the painting and for the proposed theme. The subject reveals the magnanimity and clemency of the sovereign who often welcomed conquered enemies with extreme regard.
The true poetry of the painting is the mastery that the painter exerts in the descriptive details, so as to arouse in the viewer a sense of deep admiration, captured 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 skill.
Good state of preservation. Relined. Pictorial material in excellent condition, with some old scattered restorations on the surface.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold complete with a pleasant gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic descriptive sheet.
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