PINO, Marco
(b. ca. 1525, Costa del Pino, Siena, d. ca. 1587, Napoli)

Scenes from the Life of Alexander the Great

1545-47
Fresco
Sala Paolina, Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome

The six scenes of the Alexander cycle on the ceiling continues on the five large areas of the long walls. The scenes are:

1. Alexander the Great Places the Iliad in a Precious Casket

2. Alexander the Great Cuts the Gordian Knot

3. The Family of Darius before Alexander the Great

4. Alexander the Great Reconciles Two Soldiers

5. Alexander the Great Erects Altars

The picture shows the last scene of the cycle: Alexander the Great Erects Altars. It relates to Alexander's domination of the world: it shows him erecting the altars with which he marked the easternmost point in his train of conquest. A small but significant detail, namely the eagle and the Capitoline wolf on the front side of the first altar at right, invites us to recognize in the empire of Alexander the forerunner of the Roman empire




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