56 - FRENCH SCHOOL, c. 1680–1700, after Charles LEBRUN (1619–1690)

FRENCH SCHOOL, c. 1680–1700, after Charles LEBRUN (1619–1690) The Tent of Darius or The Queens of Persia at the Feet of Alexander Oil on re-stretched canvas 63 x 92 cm (Previous restorations) Note. This painting depicts one of the most famous episodes of antiquity, as recounted by Quintus Curtius Rufus. In the aftermath of the Battle of Issus (333 B.C.), the victorious Alexander the Great enters the tent of the Persian royal family, which had been abandoned by King Darius III as he fled. Alexander is accompanied by his favorite, Hephaestion. Sisygambis, Darius’s mother, deceived by Hephaestion’s rich finery, prostrates herself before him. Realizing her mistake, she fears the victor’s wrath. It is then that Alexander kindly helps her to her feet, uttering these historic words: “You were not mistaken, my mother, for he, too, is Alexander.” This composition is based on the work by Charles Le Brun, painted in 1660–1661 for King Louis XIV and now housed at the Palace of Versailles. The painting is an allegory of Louis XIV’s clemency and virtue as embodied by the figure of Alexander. Le Brun’s work was so successful that it immediately became the paragon of great history painting. It was widely disseminated throughout Europe through engravings, notably those by Gérard Edelinck, and copied by the finest workshops. Our painting is part of this legacy. It attests to collectors’ enthusiasm for the great scenes from the epic of Alexander, a metaphor for the splendor of the Sun King. It is also worth noting that Le Brun’s masterpiece served as the model for the famous tapestry series *The History of Alexander*, woven at the Royal Gobelins Manufactory, of which Le Brun was the director.