The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Prompt: In The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, how is the Preparatory drawings discussed?

On the preparatory drawings for The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, Goya explained (in reference to the artist that is depicted asleep), "His only purpose is to banish harmful, vulgar beliefs, and to perpetuate in this work of caprices the solid testimony of truth." Art historian Philip Hofer has suggested on the evidence of one of the preparatory sketches that Goya had intended for this work to be the frontispiece of Los Caprichos, but Goya ultimately opted for The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters to be the 43rd etching out of the 80 total. This work apparently provides a transition from the first half of Los Caprichos, which includes more elements related to the vices of humanity, whereas the second half of the series introduces more fantastical creatures such as witches and goblins. Philip Hofer posits that the illustration on a title page of one of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's volumes influenced Goya's composition in this work, but that Goya ultimately decided not to display this as the frontispiece because it would seem speculative in a political sense (i.e., Rousseau's Social Contract Theory that all men were born free heavily contributed to the French Revolution). Art historians relate The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters to historical events that occurred after its publication, such as the World Wars and the Holocaust, that represented an utter lack of reason "...on a modern industrial scale, all condemning our unwitting slumber".

Portrait of Goya by [[Vicente López Portaña

File:Vicente López Portaña - el pintor Francisco de Goya.jpg

File:Prado - Los Caprichos - preparatory drawing - No. 43 - El sueño de la razon produce monstruos.jpg


The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Prompt: Focus on The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters and explain the Technical aspects.

Los Caprichos is notable for its use of aquatint, a printing technique that falls under the category of intaglio printing. Intaglio printing is characterized by the artist applying ink to the grooves of the matrix (i.e., the surface from which a print is made), allowing for intricate lines and refined tonality. According to William M. Ivins Jr., the first official Curator of Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "every intaglio print in which the lines are laid in a formal manner is an engraving, and every one in which they are laid freely is an etching," thus clarifying that the series Los Caprichos falls under the broad category of "etchings". To produce an aquatint, the image itself is formed by applying a layer of resin (or a substitute of asphalt or bitumen) using one of two technical methods. An artist may allow the resin to settle on the plate as a dry dust by inserting the printing plate at the bottom of a box wherein the dust has been distributed. The printing plate is then heated so that each grain of resin dust melts and adheres to the metal. The alternative method is to dissolve the resin or asphalt in alcohol, and then pour this solution over the printing plate. The alcohol will then evaporate, leaving a thin film of resin which will dry on the plate. The plate is then immersed in acid, which etches the metal in the gaps around the grains of resin. The dust is then cleaned off the plate, to which ink is applied; the ink penetrates the etched depressions, and when the plate is printed, it creates a network of thin etched lines. This process produces a single tone, but the density of the tone varies depending on how finely the dust was ground and how thickly it covered the plate.

Portrait of Goya by [[Vicente López Portaña

File:Vicente López Portaña - el pintor Francisco de Goya.jpg

File:Prado - Los Caprichos - preparatory drawing - No. 43 - El sueño de la razon produce monstruos.jpg


The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Prompt: Explain the Technical aspects of this artwork, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.

Los Caprichos is notable for its use of aquatint, a printing technique that falls under the category of intaglio printing. Intaglio printing is characterized by the artist applying ink to the grooves of the matrix (i.e., the surface from which a print is made), allowing for intricate lines and refined tonality. According to William M. Ivins Jr., the first official Curator of Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "every intaglio print in which the lines are laid in a formal manner is an engraving, and every one in which they are laid freely is an etching," thus clarifying that the series Los Caprichos falls under the broad category of "etchings". To produce an aquatint, the image itself is formed by applying a layer of resin (or a substitute of asphalt or bitumen) using one of two technical methods. An artist may allow the resin to settle on the plate as a dry dust by inserting the printing plate at the bottom of a box wherein the dust has been distributed. The printing plate is then heated so that each grain of resin dust melts and adheres to the metal. The alternative method is to dissolve the resin or asphalt in alcohol, and then pour this solution over the printing plate. The alcohol will then evaporate, leaving a thin film of resin which will dry on the plate. The plate is then immersed in acid, which etches the metal in the gaps around the grains of resin. The dust is then cleaned off the plate, to which ink is applied; the ink penetrates the etched depressions, and when the plate is printed, it creates a network of thin etched lines. This process produces a single tone, but the density of the tone varies depending on how finely the dust was ground and how thickly it covered the plate.

Portrait of Goya by [[Vicente López Portaña

File:Vicente López Portaña - el pintor Francisco de Goya.jpg

File:Prado - Los Caprichos - preparatory drawing - No. 43 - El sueño de la razon produce monstruos.jpg


The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Prompt: How does The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters explain its Technical aspects?

Los Caprichos is notable for its use of aquatint, a printing technique that falls under the category of intaglio printing. Intaglio printing is characterized by the artist applying ink to the grooves of the matrix (i.e., the surface from which a print is made), allowing for intricate lines and refined tonality. According to William M. Ivins Jr., the first official Curator of Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "every intaglio print in which the lines are laid in a formal manner is an engraving, and every one in which they are laid freely is an etching," thus clarifying that the series Los Caprichos falls under the broad category of "etchings". To produce an aquatint, the image itself is formed by applying a layer of resin (or a substitute of asphalt or bitumen) using one of two technical methods. An artist may allow the resin to settle on the plate as a dry dust by inserting the printing plate at the bottom of a box wherein the dust has been distributed. The printing plate is then heated so that each grain of resin dust melts and adheres to the metal. The alternative method is to dissolve the resin or asphalt in alcohol, and then pour this solution over the printing plate. The alcohol will then evaporate, leaving a thin film of resin which will dry on the plate. The plate is then immersed in acid, which etches the metal in the gaps around the grains of resin. The dust is then cleaned off the plate, to which ink is applied; the ink penetrates the etched depressions, and when the plate is printed, it creates a network of thin etched lines. This process produces a single tone, but the density of the tone varies depending on how finely the dust was ground and how thickly it covered the plate.

Portrait of Goya by [[Vicente López Portaña

File:Vicente López Portaña - el pintor Francisco de Goya.jpg

File:Prado - Los Caprichos - preparatory drawing - No. 43 - El sueño de la razon produce monstruos.jpg


The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Prompt: In The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, how is the Technical aspects discussed?

Los Caprichos is notable for its use of aquatint, a printing technique that falls under the category of intaglio printing. Intaglio printing is characterized by the artist applying ink to the grooves of the matrix (i.e., the surface from which a print is made), allowing for intricate lines and refined tonality. According to William M. Ivins Jr., the first official Curator of Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "every intaglio print in which the lines are laid in a formal manner is an engraving, and every one in which they are laid freely is an etching," thus clarifying that the series Los Caprichos falls under the broad category of "etchings". To produce an aquatint, the image itself is formed by applying a layer of resin (or a substitute of asphalt or bitumen) using one of two technical methods. An artist may allow the resin to settle on the plate as a dry dust by inserting the printing plate at the bottom of a box wherein the dust has been distributed. The printing plate is then heated so that each grain of resin dust melts and adheres to the metal. The alternative method is to dissolve the resin or asphalt in alcohol, and then pour this solution over the printing plate. The alcohol will then evaporate, leaving a thin film of resin which will dry on the plate. The plate is then immersed in acid, which etches the metal in the gaps around the grains of resin. The dust is then cleaned off the plate, to which ink is applied; the ink penetrates the etched depressions, and when the plate is printed, it creates a network of thin etched lines. This process produces a single tone, but the density of the tone varies depending on how finely the dust was ground and how thickly it covered the plate.

Portrait of Goya by [[Vicente López Portaña

File:Vicente López Portaña - el pintor Francisco de Goya.jpg

File:Prado - Los Caprichos - preparatory drawing - No. 43 - El sueño de la razon produce monstruos.jpg


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Focus on The Battle of Alexander at Issus and explain the abstract.

The Battle of Alexander at Issus (German: Alexanderschlacht) is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538), a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school. The painting portrays the 333 BC Battle of Issus, in which Alexander the Great secured a decisive victory over Darius III of Persia and gained crucial leverage in his campaign against the Persian Empire. The painting is widely regarded as Altdorfer's masterpiece, and is one of the most famous examples of the type of Renaissance landscape painting known as the world landscape, which here reaches an unprecedented grandeur.Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528 as part of a set of historical pieces that was to hang in his Munich residence. Modern commentators suggest that the painting, through its abundant use of anachronism, was intended to liken Alexander's heroic victory at Issus to the contemporary European conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the defeat of Suleiman the Magnificent at the siege of Vienna may have been an inspiration for Altdorfer. A religious undercurrent is detectable, especially in the extraordinary sky; this was probably inspired by the prophecies of Daniel and contemporary concern within the Church about an impending apocalypse. The Battle of Alexander at Issus  and four others that were part of William's initial set are in the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Explain the abstract of this artwork, The Battle of Alexander at Issus.

The Battle of Alexander at Issus (German: Alexanderschlacht) is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538), a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school. The painting portrays the 333 BC Battle of Issus, in which Alexander the Great secured a decisive victory over Darius III of Persia and gained crucial leverage in his campaign against the Persian Empire. The painting is widely regarded as Altdorfer's masterpiece, and is one of the most famous examples of the type of Renaissance landscape painting known as the world landscape, which here reaches an unprecedented grandeur.Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528 as part of a set of historical pieces that was to hang in his Munich residence. Modern commentators suggest that the painting, through its abundant use of anachronism, was intended to liken Alexander's heroic victory at Issus to the contemporary European conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the defeat of Suleiman the Magnificent at the siege of Vienna may have been an inspiration for Altdorfer. A religious undercurrent is detectable, especially in the extraordinary sky; this was probably inspired by the prophecies of Daniel and contemporary concern within the Church about an impending apocalypse. The Battle of Alexander at Issus  and four others that were part of William's initial set are in the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: How does The Battle of Alexander at Issus explain its abstract?

The Battle of Alexander at Issus (German: Alexanderschlacht) is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538), a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school. The painting portrays the 333 BC Battle of Issus, in which Alexander the Great secured a decisive victory over Darius III of Persia and gained crucial leverage in his campaign against the Persian Empire. The painting is widely regarded as Altdorfer's masterpiece, and is one of the most famous examples of the type of Renaissance landscape painting known as the world landscape, which here reaches an unprecedented grandeur.Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528 as part of a set of historical pieces that was to hang in his Munich residence. Modern commentators suggest that the painting, through its abundant use of anachronism, was intended to liken Alexander's heroic victory at Issus to the contemporary European conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the defeat of Suleiman the Magnificent at the siege of Vienna may have been an inspiration for Altdorfer. A religious undercurrent is detectable, especially in the extraordinary sky; this was probably inspired by the prophecies of Daniel and contemporary concern within the Church about an impending apocalypse. The Battle of Alexander at Issus  and four others that were part of William's initial set are in the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: In The Battle of Alexander at Issus, how is the abstract discussed?

The Battle of Alexander at Issus (German: Alexanderschlacht) is a 1529 oil painting by the German artist Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538), a pioneer of landscape art and a founding member of the Danube school. The painting portrays the 333 BC Battle of Issus, in which Alexander the Great secured a decisive victory over Darius III of Persia and gained crucial leverage in his campaign against the Persian Empire. The painting is widely regarded as Altdorfer's masterpiece, and is one of the most famous examples of the type of Renaissance landscape painting known as the world landscape, which here reaches an unprecedented grandeur.Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528 as part of a set of historical pieces that was to hang in his Munich residence. Modern commentators suggest that the painting, through its abundant use of anachronism, was intended to liken Alexander's heroic victory at Issus to the contemporary European conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the defeat of Suleiman the Magnificent at the siege of Vienna may have been an inspiration for Altdorfer. A religious undercurrent is detectable, especially in the extraordinary sky; this was probably inspired by the prophecies of Daniel and contemporary concern within the Church about an impending apocalypse. The Battle of Alexander at Issus  and four others that were part of William's initial set are in the Alte Pinakothek art museum in Munich.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Focus on The Battle of Alexander at Issus and explain the Subject matter.

Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC), best known as Alexander the Great, was an Ancient King of Macedon who reigned from 336 BC until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military tacticians and strategists in history, and is presumed undefeated in battle. Renowned for his military leadership and charisma, he always led his armies personally and took to the front ranks of battle. By conquering the Persian Empire and unifying Greece, Egypt and Babylon, he forged the largest empire of the ancient world and effected the spread of Hellenism throughout Europe and Northern Africa.Alexander embarked on his expedition to conquer the Persian Empire in the spring of 334 BC, having pacified the warring Greek states and consolidated his military might. During the first months of the Macedonian passage into Persian Asia Minor, Darius III – king of Persia – largely ignored the presence of Alexander's 40,000 men. The Battle of the Granicus, fought in May, was Persia's first major effort to confront the invaders, but resulted in an easy victory for Alexander. Over the next year, Alexander took most of western and coastal Asia Minor by forcing the capitulation of the satrapies in his path. He continued inland, travelling northeast through Phrygia before turning southeast toward Cilicia. After passing the Cilician Gates in October, Alexander was delayed by fever in Tarsus. Darius, meanwhile, mustered an army of up to 100,000 (some ancient sources posit exaggerated figures of over 600,000) and personally directed it over the eastern slopes of the Amanus Mountains. In early November, as Alexander proceeded about the Gulf of Issus from Mallus via Issus, the two armies inadvertently passed one another on opposite sides of the mountains. This was decidedly to Darius' advantage: now at the rear of Alexander, he was able to prevent retreat and block the supply lines Alexander had established at Issus. It was not until Alexander had encamped at Myriandrus, a seaport on the southeastern shores of the Gulf of İskenderun, that he learned of the Persian position. He immediately retraced his route to the Pinarus River, just south of Issus, to find Darius' force assembled along the northern bank. The Battle of Issus ensued.Darius' initial response was defensive: he immediately stockaded the river bank with stakes to impede the enemy's crossing. A core vanguard of traitorous Greek mercenaries and Persian royal guard was established; as was usual for Persian kings, Darius positioned himself in the centre of this vanguard, in order that he might effectively dispatch commands to any part of his large army. A group of Persian light infantry was soon sent to the foothills, as it was suspected that Alexander would make an approach from the right, away from the coast. A mass of cavalry commanded by Nabarsanes occupied the Persian right.Alexander made a cautious and slow advance, intending to base his strategy on the structure of the Persian force. He led a flank of his Companion cavalry on the right, while the Thessalian cavalry were dispatched to the left, as a counter to Nabarsanes' mounted unit. Aware of the importance of the foothills to his right, Alexander sent a band of light infantry, archers, and cavalry to displace the defence Darius had stationed there. The enterprise was successful – those Persians not killed were forced to seek refuge higher in the mountains.When within missile range of the enemy, Alexander gave the order to charge. He spearheaded the assault of his heavily armed Companion cavalry, who quickly made deep cuts into the Persian left flank. The Macedonian left wing, commanded by Parmenion, was meanwhile driven back by Nabarsanes' large cavalry. The Macedonians' central phalanx crossed the river and clashed with the renegade Greek mercenaries who fronted Darius' vanguard. As the Companion cavalry pushed further into the Persian left, the danger arose that Darius would exploit the gap that had formed between Alexander and the rest of his army. When he was satisfied that the left wing was crippled and no longer a threat, Alexander remedied the situation by moving the Companions to assault the Persian centre in the flank. Unable to handle the added pressure, the Persian vanguard was forced to withdraw from the river bank, allowing the Macedonian phalanx to continue their advance and lifting the pressure on Parmenion's left wing.Upon realising that the onslaught of Alexander's Companion cavalry was unstoppable, Darius and his army fled. Many were killed in the rush, trampled by those who fled with them or collapsed with their horses. Some escaped to regions as remote as Egypt, and others reunited with Darius in the north. The onset of darkness ended the chase after approximately 20 km (12 mi); Alexander then recalled his army and set about burying the dead. Darius' family were left behind in the Persian camp; it is reported that Alexander treated them well and reassured them of Darius' safety. Darius' royal chariot was found discarded in a ditch, as were his bow and shield.Ancient sources present disparate casualty figures for the Battle of Issus. Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus approximate 100,000 Persian deaths, in contrast with the 450 Macedonian deaths reported by Quintus Curtius Rufus. In any case, it is probable that more Persians were killed as they fled than in battle; Ptolemy I, who served with Alexander during the battle, recounts how the Macedonians crossed a ravine on the bodies of their enemies during the pursuit.The Macedonian conquest of Persia continued until 330 BC, when Darius was killed and Alexander took his title as king. Alexander died in 323 BC, having recently returned from campaigning in the Indian subcontinent. The cause of death remains a subject of debate.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Explain the Subject matter of this artwork, The Battle of Alexander at Issus.

Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC), best known as Alexander the Great, was an Ancient King of Macedon who reigned from 336 BC until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military tacticians and strategists in history, and is presumed undefeated in battle. Renowned for his military leadership and charisma, he always led his armies personally and took to the front ranks of battle. By conquering the Persian Empire and unifying Greece, Egypt and Babylon, he forged the largest empire of the ancient world and effected the spread of Hellenism throughout Europe and Northern Africa.Alexander embarked on his expedition to conquer the Persian Empire in the spring of 334 BC, having pacified the warring Greek states and consolidated his military might. During the first months of the Macedonian passage into Persian Asia Minor, Darius III – king of Persia – largely ignored the presence of Alexander's 40,000 men. The Battle of the Granicus, fought in May, was Persia's first major effort to confront the invaders, but resulted in an easy victory for Alexander. Over the next year, Alexander took most of western and coastal Asia Minor by forcing the capitulation of the satrapies in his path. He continued inland, travelling northeast through Phrygia before turning southeast toward Cilicia. After passing the Cilician Gates in October, Alexander was delayed by fever in Tarsus. Darius, meanwhile, mustered an army of up to 100,000 (some ancient sources posit exaggerated figures of over 600,000) and personally directed it over the eastern slopes of the Amanus Mountains. In early November, as Alexander proceeded about the Gulf of Issus from Mallus via Issus, the two armies inadvertently passed one another on opposite sides of the mountains. This was decidedly to Darius' advantage: now at the rear of Alexander, he was able to prevent retreat and block the supply lines Alexander had established at Issus. It was not until Alexander had encamped at Myriandrus, a seaport on the southeastern shores of the Gulf of İskenderun, that he learned of the Persian position. He immediately retraced his route to the Pinarus River, just south of Issus, to find Darius' force assembled along the northern bank. The Battle of Issus ensued.Darius' initial response was defensive: he immediately stockaded the river bank with stakes to impede the enemy's crossing. A core vanguard of traitorous Greek mercenaries and Persian royal guard was established; as was usual for Persian kings, Darius positioned himself in the centre of this vanguard, in order that he might effectively dispatch commands to any part of his large army. A group of Persian light infantry was soon sent to the foothills, as it was suspected that Alexander would make an approach from the right, away from the coast. A mass of cavalry commanded by Nabarsanes occupied the Persian right.Alexander made a cautious and slow advance, intending to base his strategy on the structure of the Persian force. He led a flank of his Companion cavalry on the right, while the Thessalian cavalry were dispatched to the left, as a counter to Nabarsanes' mounted unit. Aware of the importance of the foothills to his right, Alexander sent a band of light infantry, archers, and cavalry to displace the defence Darius had stationed there. The enterprise was successful – those Persians not killed were forced to seek refuge higher in the mountains.When within missile range of the enemy, Alexander gave the order to charge. He spearheaded the assault of his heavily armed Companion cavalry, who quickly made deep cuts into the Persian left flank. The Macedonian left wing, commanded by Parmenion, was meanwhile driven back by Nabarsanes' large cavalry. The Macedonians' central phalanx crossed the river and clashed with the renegade Greek mercenaries who fronted Darius' vanguard. As the Companion cavalry pushed further into the Persian left, the danger arose that Darius would exploit the gap that had formed between Alexander and the rest of his army. When he was satisfied that the left wing was crippled and no longer a threat, Alexander remedied the situation by moving the Companions to assault the Persian centre in the flank. Unable to handle the added pressure, the Persian vanguard was forced to withdraw from the river bank, allowing the Macedonian phalanx to continue their advance and lifting the pressure on Parmenion's left wing.Upon realising that the onslaught of Alexander's Companion cavalry was unstoppable, Darius and his army fled. Many were killed in the rush, trampled by those who fled with them or collapsed with their horses. Some escaped to regions as remote as Egypt, and others reunited with Darius in the north. The onset of darkness ended the chase after approximately 20 km (12 mi); Alexander then recalled his army and set about burying the dead. Darius' family were left behind in the Persian camp; it is reported that Alexander treated them well and reassured them of Darius' safety. Darius' royal chariot was found discarded in a ditch, as were his bow and shield.Ancient sources present disparate casualty figures for the Battle of Issus. Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus approximate 100,000 Persian deaths, in contrast with the 450 Macedonian deaths reported by Quintus Curtius Rufus. In any case, it is probable that more Persians were killed as they fled than in battle; Ptolemy I, who served with Alexander during the battle, recounts how the Macedonians crossed a ravine on the bodies of their enemies during the pursuit.The Macedonian conquest of Persia continued until 330 BC, when Darius was killed and Alexander took his title as king. Alexander died in 323 BC, having recently returned from campaigning in the Indian subcontinent. The cause of death remains a subject of debate.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: How does The Battle of Alexander at Issus explain its Subject matter?

Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC), best known as Alexander the Great, was an Ancient King of Macedon who reigned from 336 BC until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military tacticians and strategists in history, and is presumed undefeated in battle. Renowned for his military leadership and charisma, he always led his armies personally and took to the front ranks of battle. By conquering the Persian Empire and unifying Greece, Egypt and Babylon, he forged the largest empire of the ancient world and effected the spread of Hellenism throughout Europe and Northern Africa.Alexander embarked on his expedition to conquer the Persian Empire in the spring of 334 BC, having pacified the warring Greek states and consolidated his military might. During the first months of the Macedonian passage into Persian Asia Minor, Darius III – king of Persia – largely ignored the presence of Alexander's 40,000 men. The Battle of the Granicus, fought in May, was Persia's first major effort to confront the invaders, but resulted in an easy victory for Alexander. Over the next year, Alexander took most of western and coastal Asia Minor by forcing the capitulation of the satrapies in his path. He continued inland, travelling northeast through Phrygia before turning southeast toward Cilicia. After passing the Cilician Gates in October, Alexander was delayed by fever in Tarsus. Darius, meanwhile, mustered an army of up to 100,000 (some ancient sources posit exaggerated figures of over 600,000) and personally directed it over the eastern slopes of the Amanus Mountains. In early November, as Alexander proceeded about the Gulf of Issus from Mallus via Issus, the two armies inadvertently passed one another on opposite sides of the mountains. This was decidedly to Darius' advantage: now at the rear of Alexander, he was able to prevent retreat and block the supply lines Alexander had established at Issus. It was not until Alexander had encamped at Myriandrus, a seaport on the southeastern shores of the Gulf of İskenderun, that he learned of the Persian position. He immediately retraced his route to the Pinarus River, just south of Issus, to find Darius' force assembled along the northern bank. The Battle of Issus ensued.Darius' initial response was defensive: he immediately stockaded the river bank with stakes to impede the enemy's crossing. A core vanguard of traitorous Greek mercenaries and Persian royal guard was established; as was usual for Persian kings, Darius positioned himself in the centre of this vanguard, in order that he might effectively dispatch commands to any part of his large army. A group of Persian light infantry was soon sent to the foothills, as it was suspected that Alexander would make an approach from the right, away from the coast. A mass of cavalry commanded by Nabarsanes occupied the Persian right.Alexander made a cautious and slow advance, intending to base his strategy on the structure of the Persian force. He led a flank of his Companion cavalry on the right, while the Thessalian cavalry were dispatched to the left, as a counter to Nabarsanes' mounted unit. Aware of the importance of the foothills to his right, Alexander sent a band of light infantry, archers, and cavalry to displace the defence Darius had stationed there. The enterprise was successful – those Persians not killed were forced to seek refuge higher in the mountains.When within missile range of the enemy, Alexander gave the order to charge. He spearheaded the assault of his heavily armed Companion cavalry, who quickly made deep cuts into the Persian left flank. The Macedonian left wing, commanded by Parmenion, was meanwhile driven back by Nabarsanes' large cavalry. The Macedonians' central phalanx crossed the river and clashed with the renegade Greek mercenaries who fronted Darius' vanguard. As the Companion cavalry pushed further into the Persian left, the danger arose that Darius would exploit the gap that had formed between Alexander and the rest of his army. When he was satisfied that the left wing was crippled and no longer a threat, Alexander remedied the situation by moving the Companions to assault the Persian centre in the flank. Unable to handle the added pressure, the Persian vanguard was forced to withdraw from the river bank, allowing the Macedonian phalanx to continue their advance and lifting the pressure on Parmenion's left wing.Upon realising that the onslaught of Alexander's Companion cavalry was unstoppable, Darius and his army fled. Many were killed in the rush, trampled by those who fled with them or collapsed with their horses. Some escaped to regions as remote as Egypt, and others reunited with Darius in the north. The onset of darkness ended the chase after approximately 20 km (12 mi); Alexander then recalled his army and set about burying the dead. Darius' family were left behind in the Persian camp; it is reported that Alexander treated them well and reassured them of Darius' safety. Darius' royal chariot was found discarded in a ditch, as were his bow and shield.Ancient sources present disparate casualty figures for the Battle of Issus. Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus approximate 100,000 Persian deaths, in contrast with the 450 Macedonian deaths reported by Quintus Curtius Rufus. In any case, it is probable that more Persians were killed as they fled than in battle; Ptolemy I, who served with Alexander during the battle, recounts how the Macedonians crossed a ravine on the bodies of their enemies during the pursuit.The Macedonian conquest of Persia continued until 330 BC, when Darius was killed and Alexander took his title as king. Alexander died in 323 BC, having recently returned from campaigning in the Indian subcontinent. The cause of death remains a subject of debate.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: In The Battle of Alexander at Issus, how is the Subject matter discussed?

Alexander III of Macedon (356–323 BC), best known as Alexander the Great, was an Ancient King of Macedon who reigned from 336 BC until his death. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military tacticians and strategists in history, and is presumed undefeated in battle. Renowned for his military leadership and charisma, he always led his armies personally and took to the front ranks of battle. By conquering the Persian Empire and unifying Greece, Egypt and Babylon, he forged the largest empire of the ancient world and effected the spread of Hellenism throughout Europe and Northern Africa.Alexander embarked on his expedition to conquer the Persian Empire in the spring of 334 BC, having pacified the warring Greek states and consolidated his military might. During the first months of the Macedonian passage into Persian Asia Minor, Darius III – king of Persia – largely ignored the presence of Alexander's 40,000 men. The Battle of the Granicus, fought in May, was Persia's first major effort to confront the invaders, but resulted in an easy victory for Alexander. Over the next year, Alexander took most of western and coastal Asia Minor by forcing the capitulation of the satrapies in his path. He continued inland, travelling northeast through Phrygia before turning southeast toward Cilicia. After passing the Cilician Gates in October, Alexander was delayed by fever in Tarsus. Darius, meanwhile, mustered an army of up to 100,000 (some ancient sources posit exaggerated figures of over 600,000) and personally directed it over the eastern slopes of the Amanus Mountains. In early November, as Alexander proceeded about the Gulf of Issus from Mallus via Issus, the two armies inadvertently passed one another on opposite sides of the mountains. This was decidedly to Darius' advantage: now at the rear of Alexander, he was able to prevent retreat and block the supply lines Alexander had established at Issus. It was not until Alexander had encamped at Myriandrus, a seaport on the southeastern shores of the Gulf of İskenderun, that he learned of the Persian position. He immediately retraced his route to the Pinarus River, just south of Issus, to find Darius' force assembled along the northern bank. The Battle of Issus ensued.Darius' initial response was defensive: he immediately stockaded the river bank with stakes to impede the enemy's crossing. A core vanguard of traitorous Greek mercenaries and Persian royal guard was established; as was usual for Persian kings, Darius positioned himself in the centre of this vanguard, in order that he might effectively dispatch commands to any part of his large army. A group of Persian light infantry was soon sent to the foothills, as it was suspected that Alexander would make an approach from the right, away from the coast. A mass of cavalry commanded by Nabarsanes occupied the Persian right.Alexander made a cautious and slow advance, intending to base his strategy on the structure of the Persian force. He led a flank of his Companion cavalry on the right, while the Thessalian cavalry were dispatched to the left, as a counter to Nabarsanes' mounted unit. Aware of the importance of the foothills to his right, Alexander sent a band of light infantry, archers, and cavalry to displace the defence Darius had stationed there. The enterprise was successful – those Persians not killed were forced to seek refuge higher in the mountains.When within missile range of the enemy, Alexander gave the order to charge. He spearheaded the assault of his heavily armed Companion cavalry, who quickly made deep cuts into the Persian left flank. The Macedonian left wing, commanded by Parmenion, was meanwhile driven back by Nabarsanes' large cavalry. The Macedonians' central phalanx crossed the river and clashed with the renegade Greek mercenaries who fronted Darius' vanguard. As the Companion cavalry pushed further into the Persian left, the danger arose that Darius would exploit the gap that had formed between Alexander and the rest of his army. When he was satisfied that the left wing was crippled and no longer a threat, Alexander remedied the situation by moving the Companions to assault the Persian centre in the flank. Unable to handle the added pressure, the Persian vanguard was forced to withdraw from the river bank, allowing the Macedonian phalanx to continue their advance and lifting the pressure on Parmenion's left wing.Upon realising that the onslaught of Alexander's Companion cavalry was unstoppable, Darius and his army fled. Many were killed in the rush, trampled by those who fled with them or collapsed with their horses. Some escaped to regions as remote as Egypt, and others reunited with Darius in the north. The onset of darkness ended the chase after approximately 20 km (12 mi); Alexander then recalled his army and set about burying the dead. Darius' family were left behind in the Persian camp; it is reported that Alexander treated them well and reassured them of Darius' safety. Darius' royal chariot was found discarded in a ditch, as were his bow and shield.Ancient sources present disparate casualty figures for the Battle of Issus. Plutarch and Diodorus Siculus approximate 100,000 Persian deaths, in contrast with the 450 Macedonian deaths reported by Quintus Curtius Rufus. In any case, it is probable that more Persians were killed as they fled than in battle; Ptolemy I, who served with Alexander during the battle, recounts how the Macedonians crossed a ravine on the bodies of their enemies during the pursuit.The Macedonian conquest of Persia continued until 330 BC, when Darius was killed and Alexander took his title as king. Alexander died in 323 BC, having recently returned from campaigning in the Indian subcontinent. The cause of death remains a subject of debate.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: In the context of The Battle of Alexander at Issus, explain the Previous work and the Background.

Albrecht Altdorfer is regarded as one of the founders of Western landscape art. He was a painter, etcher, architect, and engraver, and the leader of the Danube school of German art. As evidenced by such paintings as Saint George in the Forest (1510) and Allegory (1531), much of Altdorfer's work is characterised by an attachment to sprawling landscapes that dwarf the figures within them; The Battle of Alexander at Issus epitomises this facet of his style. With reference to Saint George in the Forest in particular, art historian Mark W. Roskill comments that "The accessory material of landscape [in Altdorfer's work] is played with and ornamentally elaborated so that it reverberates with the sense of a sequestered and inhospitable environment". Inspired by his travels around the Austrian Alps and the Danube River, Altdorfer painted a number of landscapes that contain no figures at all, including Landscape with a Footbridge (c. 1516) and Danube Landscape near Regensburg (c. 1522–25). These were the first "pure" landscapes since antiquity. Most of Altdorfer's landscapes were made with a vertical format, in contrast with the modern conception of the genre. The horizontal landscape was an innovation of Altdorfer's Flemish contemporary Joachim Patinir and his followers.Altdorfer also produced a great deal of religious artwork, in reflection of his devout Catholicism. His most frequent subjects were the Virgin Mary and the life and crucifixion of Christ. As in The Battle of Alexander at Issus, these paintings often feature settings of great majesty and use the sky to convey symbolic meaning. This meaning is not uniform throughout Altdorfer's corpus – for example, the visage of the setting sun connotes loss and tragedy in Agony in the Garden, but serves as "the emblem of power and glory" in The Battle of Alexander at Issus.Larry Silver of The Art Bulletin explains that The Battle of Alexander at Issus is both similar to and in direct contrast with Altdorfer's previous work: "Instead of the peaceful landscape of retreat for Christian events or holy figures, this panel offers just the opposite: a battleground for one of ancient history's principal epoch-making encounters ... Yet despite its global or cosmic dimensions, the Battle of Issus still looks like Altdorfer's earlier, contemplative liminal landscapes of retreat, complete with craggy peaks, bodies of water, and distant castles."Although the Battle of Alexander is atypical of Altdorfer in its size and in that it depicts war, his  Triumphal Procession – a 1512–16 illuminated manuscript commissioned by Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire – has been described as a conceptual antecedent. The Procession was produced in parallel with the Triumph of Maximilian, a series of 137 woodcuts collaboratively executed by Altdorfer, Hans Springinklee, Albrecht Dürer, Leonhard Beck and Hans Schäufelein.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Explain the Previous work about the Background of this artwork, The Battle of Alexander at Issus.

Albrecht Altdorfer is regarded as one of the founders of Western landscape art. He was a painter, etcher, architect, and engraver, and the leader of the Danube school of German art. As evidenced by such paintings as Saint George in the Forest (1510) and Allegory (1531), much of Altdorfer's work is characterised by an attachment to sprawling landscapes that dwarf the figures within them; The Battle of Alexander at Issus epitomises this facet of his style. With reference to Saint George in the Forest in particular, art historian Mark W. Roskill comments that "The accessory material of landscape [in Altdorfer's work] is played with and ornamentally elaborated so that it reverberates with the sense of a sequestered and inhospitable environment". Inspired by his travels around the Austrian Alps and the Danube River, Altdorfer painted a number of landscapes that contain no figures at all, including Landscape with a Footbridge (c. 1516) and Danube Landscape near Regensburg (c. 1522–25). These were the first "pure" landscapes since antiquity. Most of Altdorfer's landscapes were made with a vertical format, in contrast with the modern conception of the genre. The horizontal landscape was an innovation of Altdorfer's Flemish contemporary Joachim Patinir and his followers.Altdorfer also produced a great deal of religious artwork, in reflection of his devout Catholicism. His most frequent subjects were the Virgin Mary and the life and crucifixion of Christ. As in The Battle of Alexander at Issus, these paintings often feature settings of great majesty and use the sky to convey symbolic meaning. This meaning is not uniform throughout Altdorfer's corpus – for example, the visage of the setting sun connotes loss and tragedy in Agony in the Garden, but serves as "the emblem of power and glory" in The Battle of Alexander at Issus.Larry Silver of The Art Bulletin explains that The Battle of Alexander at Issus is both similar to and in direct contrast with Altdorfer's previous work: "Instead of the peaceful landscape of retreat for Christian events or holy figures, this panel offers just the opposite: a battleground for one of ancient history's principal epoch-making encounters ... Yet despite its global or cosmic dimensions, the Battle of Issus still looks like Altdorfer's earlier, contemplative liminal landscapes of retreat, complete with craggy peaks, bodies of water, and distant castles."Although the Battle of Alexander is atypical of Altdorfer in its size and in that it depicts war, his  Triumphal Procession – a 1512–16 illuminated manuscript commissioned by Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire – has been described as a conceptual antecedent. The Procession was produced in parallel with the Triumph of Maximilian, a series of 137 woodcuts collaboratively executed by Altdorfer, Hans Springinklee, Albrecht Dürer, Leonhard Beck and Hans Schäufelein.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: In The Battle of Alexander at Issus, how is the Previous work of the Background explained?

Albrecht Altdorfer is regarded as one of the founders of Western landscape art. He was a painter, etcher, architect, and engraver, and the leader of the Danube school of German art. As evidenced by such paintings as Saint George in the Forest (1510) and Allegory (1531), much of Altdorfer's work is characterised by an attachment to sprawling landscapes that dwarf the figures within them; The Battle of Alexander at Issus epitomises this facet of his style. With reference to Saint George in the Forest in particular, art historian Mark W. Roskill comments that "The accessory material of landscape [in Altdorfer's work] is played with and ornamentally elaborated so that it reverberates with the sense of a sequestered and inhospitable environment". Inspired by his travels around the Austrian Alps and the Danube River, Altdorfer painted a number of landscapes that contain no figures at all, including Landscape with a Footbridge (c. 1516) and Danube Landscape near Regensburg (c. 1522–25). These were the first "pure" landscapes since antiquity. Most of Altdorfer's landscapes were made with a vertical format, in contrast with the modern conception of the genre. The horizontal landscape was an innovation of Altdorfer's Flemish contemporary Joachim Patinir and his followers.Altdorfer also produced a great deal of religious artwork, in reflection of his devout Catholicism. His most frequent subjects were the Virgin Mary and the life and crucifixion of Christ. As in The Battle of Alexander at Issus, these paintings often feature settings of great majesty and use the sky to convey symbolic meaning. This meaning is not uniform throughout Altdorfer's corpus – for example, the visage of the setting sun connotes loss and tragedy in Agony in the Garden, but serves as "the emblem of power and glory" in The Battle of Alexander at Issus.Larry Silver of The Art Bulletin explains that The Battle of Alexander at Issus is both similar to and in direct contrast with Altdorfer's previous work: "Instead of the peaceful landscape of retreat for Christian events or holy figures, this panel offers just the opposite: a battleground for one of ancient history's principal epoch-making encounters ... Yet despite its global or cosmic dimensions, the Battle of Issus still looks like Altdorfer's earlier, contemplative liminal landscapes of retreat, complete with craggy peaks, bodies of water, and distant castles."Although the Battle of Alexander is atypical of Altdorfer in its size and in that it depicts war, his  Triumphal Procession – a 1512–16 illuminated manuscript commissioned by Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire – has been described as a conceptual antecedent. The Procession was produced in parallel with the Triumph of Maximilian, a series of 137 woodcuts collaboratively executed by Altdorfer, Hans Springinklee, Albrecht Dürer, Leonhard Beck and Hans Schäufelein.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Describe the characteristics of the Previous work in The Battle of Alexander at Issus's Background.

Albrecht Altdorfer is regarded as one of the founders of Western landscape art. He was a painter, etcher, architect, and engraver, and the leader of the Danube school of German art. As evidenced by such paintings as Saint George in the Forest (1510) and Allegory (1531), much of Altdorfer's work is characterised by an attachment to sprawling landscapes that dwarf the figures within them; The Battle of Alexander at Issus epitomises this facet of his style. With reference to Saint George in the Forest in particular, art historian Mark W. Roskill comments that "The accessory material of landscape [in Altdorfer's work] is played with and ornamentally elaborated so that it reverberates with the sense of a sequestered and inhospitable environment". Inspired by his travels around the Austrian Alps and the Danube River, Altdorfer painted a number of landscapes that contain no figures at all, including Landscape with a Footbridge (c. 1516) and Danube Landscape near Regensburg (c. 1522–25). These were the first "pure" landscapes since antiquity. Most of Altdorfer's landscapes were made with a vertical format, in contrast with the modern conception of the genre. The horizontal landscape was an innovation of Altdorfer's Flemish contemporary Joachim Patinir and his followers.Altdorfer also produced a great deal of religious artwork, in reflection of his devout Catholicism. His most frequent subjects were the Virgin Mary and the life and crucifixion of Christ. As in The Battle of Alexander at Issus, these paintings often feature settings of great majesty and use the sky to convey symbolic meaning. This meaning is not uniform throughout Altdorfer's corpus – for example, the visage of the setting sun connotes loss and tragedy in Agony in the Garden, but serves as "the emblem of power and glory" in The Battle of Alexander at Issus.Larry Silver of The Art Bulletin explains that The Battle of Alexander at Issus is both similar to and in direct contrast with Altdorfer's previous work: "Instead of the peaceful landscape of retreat for Christian events or holy figures, this panel offers just the opposite: a battleground for one of ancient history's principal epoch-making encounters ... Yet despite its global or cosmic dimensions, the Battle of Issus still looks like Altdorfer's earlier, contemplative liminal landscapes of retreat, complete with craggy peaks, bodies of water, and distant castles."Although the Battle of Alexander is atypical of Altdorfer in its size and in that it depicts war, his  Triumphal Procession – a 1512–16 illuminated manuscript commissioned by Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire – has been described as a conceptual antecedent. The Procession was produced in parallel with the Triumph of Maximilian, a series of 137 woodcuts collaboratively executed by Altdorfer, Hans Springinklee, Albrecht Dürer, Leonhard Beck and Hans Schäufelein.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: In the context of The Battle of Alexander at Issus, explain the Influences and commission and the Background.

Altdorfer's most significant contemporary influence was Matthias Grünewald (c. 1470–1528). Art historian Horst W. Janson remarked that their paintings "show the same 'unruly' imagination". Elements of The Battle of Alexander at Issus – particularly the sky – have been compared to Grünewald's Heavenly Host above the Virgin and Child, which forms part of his masterpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece. Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), also associated with the Danube school, was another important influence for Altdorfer. According to Roskill, works by Cranach from about 1500 "give a prominent role to landscape settings, using them as mood-enhancing backgrounds for portraits, and for images of hermits and visionary saints", and seem to play a "preparatory role" for the onset of pure landscape. Altdorfer owed much of his style, particularly in his religious artwork, to Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528); Larry Silver writes that Altdorfer's "use of convincing German landscapes in combination with celestial phenomena for his religious narrative" is "firmly tied" to a tradition "modeled by Albrecht Dürer."William IV, Duke of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528. Altdorfer was approximately 50 at the time, and was living in the Free Imperial City of Regensburg. As a result of over a decade of involvement with the Regensburg city council, Altdorfer was offered the position of Burgomaster on 18 September 1528. He declined; the council annals reported his reasoning as such: "He much desires to execute a special work in Bavaria for my Serene Highness and gracious Lord, Duke [William]." William probably wanted the painting for his newly built summer Lusthaus ("pleasure house") in the grounds of his palace in Munich, approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Regensburg. There, it was to hang alongside seven other paintings with a similar format and subject matter, including Ludwig Refinger's The Martyrdom of Marcus Curtius, Melchior Feselen's The Siege of Alesia by Caesar, and the painting of Battle of Cannae by Hans Burgkmair (1473–1531). Another eight, each portraying a famous woman from history, were later added to the set, probably at the behest of the Duke's wife, Jacobaea of Baden. Altdorfer's Susanna and the Elders (1526) was among these.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer


The Battle of Alexander at Issus

Prompt: Explain the Influences and commission about the Background of this artwork, The Battle of Alexander at Issus.

Altdorfer's most significant contemporary influence was Matthias Grünewald (c. 1470–1528). Art historian Horst W. Janson remarked that their paintings "show the same 'unruly' imagination". Elements of The Battle of Alexander at Issus – particularly the sky – have been compared to Grünewald's Heavenly Host above the Virgin and Child, which forms part of his masterpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece. Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553), also associated with the Danube school, was another important influence for Altdorfer. According to Roskill, works by Cranach from about 1500 "give a prominent role to landscape settings, using them as mood-enhancing backgrounds for portraits, and for images of hermits and visionary saints", and seem to play a "preparatory role" for the onset of pure landscape. Altdorfer owed much of his style, particularly in his religious artwork, to Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528); Larry Silver writes that Altdorfer's "use of convincing German landscapes in combination with celestial phenomena for his religious narrative" is "firmly tied" to a tradition "modeled by Albrecht Dürer."William IV, Duke of Bavaria commissioned The Battle of Alexander at Issus in 1528. Altdorfer was approximately 50 at the time, and was living in the Free Imperial City of Regensburg. As a result of over a decade of involvement with the Regensburg city council, Altdorfer was offered the position of Burgomaster on 18 September 1528. He declined; the council annals reported his reasoning as such: "He much desires to execute a special work in Bavaria for my Serene Highness and gracious Lord, Duke [William]." William probably wanted the painting for his newly built summer Lusthaus ("pleasure house") in the grounds of his palace in Munich, approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Regensburg. There, it was to hang alongside seven other paintings with a similar format and subject matter, including Ludwig Refinger's The Martyrdom of Marcus Curtius, Melchior Feselen's The Siege of Alesia by Caesar, and the painting of Battle of Cannae by Hans Burgkmair (1473–1531). Another eight, each portraying a famous woman from history, were later added to the set, probably at the behest of the Duke's wife, Jacobaea of Baden. Altdorfer's Susanna and the Elders (1526) was among these.

File:Battle of Issus - initial deployment.svg

alt=A painting showing an elaborate and fanciful palace set in a landscape of forest and mountains. The forecourt of the palace is bustling with people. Outside the palace, near a fountain sits Susannah attended by handmaids who wash her feet and comb her hair. Two old courtiers spy on her from the dense undergrowth.

Detail of the fictitious mountain in the painting's centre

Category:Collection of the Alte Pinakothek

Detail of Alexander the Great from the [[Alexander Mosaic

commons:File:Altdorfer, Albrecht - Donaulandschaft mit Schloß Wörth.jpg

alt=A panel from an altarpiece by Grünewald. On the right, the Virgin Mary gazes at the Christ Child while above her, in a sky blazing with light, God is seated on a throne surrounded by the Hosts of Heaven. To the left an orchestra of cherubim plays in a Gothic loggia.

The initial dispositions at the Battle of Issus. The Pinarus River separates the belligerents, and Issus is {{convert

alt=A military diagram. A river runs through the lower-left diagonal. On one side are the Persians, with the Orientals and Greek mercenaries, and on the other are the Macedonians, with Alexander and Parmenion. The gradient of the nearby mountains generally decreases from the top right, till the shores of the gulf in the bottom left.

alt=A large mosaic depicting an array of soldiers on horseback doing battle. Parts of it have been damaged or lost to time.

alt=Small figures of women on the battlefield, all with long red hair and all wearing feathered toques

''Susannah and the Elders'' (1526), the only other painting by Altdorfer in the [[Alte Pinakothek

Detail of soldiers from both armies. Reinhart Koselleck comments that the Persians resemble the 16th-century Turks "from their feet to their turbans."

Matthias Grünewald's ''The Virgin and Child with the Heavenly Host'' (c. 1515)

Alexander the Great#Death and succession

alt=A miniature painting showing four brightly clothed men carrying a large banner which is painted with a complex battle scene

alt=An island, and a cityscape featuring church towers

mi}} to the north. Cavalry is concentrated on the shores of the Gulf of İskenderun (or Gulf of Issus) on both sides. Alexander devotes himself to a right approach with his Companion cavalry, having unseated the Persian foothill defence.

alt=A steep mountain, upon which are built fortifications

alt= A painting of St George slaying the dragon set in a dense forest in which the figures are dwarfed by the trees. A distant landscape is seen through a break.

Detail of the oversized island of Cyprus and what is probably the city of Tarsus

A miniature from ''Triumphal Procession'' (1512–1516)

File:Horatius Cocles Stopping King Porsenna's Army outside Rome (Ludwig Refinger) - Nationalmuseum - 17244.tif

alt=A blazing sun above blue-tinged mountains and water

The Alexander Mosaic, as seen in the Naples National Archaeological Museum

Category:Paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer

List of landscapes by Albrecht Altdorfer