Artwork
Darius Marching to the Battle of Issus
Darius Marching to the Battle of Issus is an oil painting by Apollonio di Giovanni. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Munich Central Collecting Point.
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm, its elongated horizontal format suggesting it was designed as a cassone panel or spalliera, narrative furniture paintings common in Renaissance Florence.
The painting is executed in tempera on panel, a support and medium typical of Florentine panel painting in the mid-15th century. The work measures 48.5 by 141.5 cm, its elongated horizontal format suggesting it was designed as a cassone panel or spalliera, narrative furniture paintings common in Renaissance Florence. The artist's handling of the historical subject, Darius III marching to battle, aligns with the history painting genre, depicting the Persian ruler as a mounted figure among his troops.
History & Provenance
The painting Darius Marching to the Battle of Issus was created in Florence around 1450, as indicated by its documented inception date. The work is attributed to Apollonio di Giovanni, a painter active in mid-15th-century Florence known for history paintings on panel.
By the end of World War II, the painting had entered the custody of the Munich Central Collecting Point, reflecting its seizure and relocation by Allied forces from the Führermuseum collection. It was subsequently restituted to Dutch ownership under the Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit and allocated to the Rijksmuseum, where it remains in the permanent collection.
The panel is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Its documented custodial history traces through several wartime and postwar repositories, including the Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit, the Führermuseum, the Munich Central Collecting Point, and the Dienst Verspreide Rijkscollecties, before its return to the Dutch national collection.
No specific inventory or accession number, and no exhibition history, is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Created around 1450, this tempera panel by Apollonio di Giovanni portrays the Persian king Darius III as he prepares to engage Alexander the Great at Issus. The composition gathers a sizable procession of figures, set before a landscape of buildings and hills, and is presently displayed in the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on Darius III, shown on horseback with a gilded helmet and spear, symbolizing his royal authority and military resolve. Accompanying him is a charioteer bearing a scepter, while surrounding participants display a range of attire from armor to ceremonial dress, suggesting the diverse ranks and cultures within the Persian army.
Context
The Battle of Issus (333 BC) was a pivotal clash between Alexander the Great and Darius III, a subject frequently revisited in Renaissance art to explore themes of power, destiny, and cultural encounter. Apollonio’s rendition reflects contemporary interest in classical history, using a courtly visual language to convey the drama of the encounter.
Artist & collection
- The Triumph of Aemilius Paulus after the Battle of Pydna
Horatius Cocles Defending the Sublician Bridge
The Triumph of Alexander
Tarquinius Priscus Entering Rome
The Battle of Pharsalus and the Death of Pompey
The Magnanimity of Scipio
The Story of Esther
Procession of the Magi
The Triumph of Camillus
The Conquest of Naples by Charles of Durazzo
The Continence of Scipio
The Battle of Pharsalus and the Death of Pompey
