Portraits of Alexander the Great

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Portraits of Alexander the Great
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Ancient authors

• Plutarch on the famous tilt
• Alexanders features are best depicted in
  those statues of him made by Lysippus, the only
  artist by whom Alexander felt he should be
  sculpted. As a matter of fact, the features which
  most of the successors and Alexanders friends
  later tried to affect have been accurately caught
  by the artist the angle of the neck, slightly
  inclined to the left, and the languishing glance
  of the eyes. Alexander 4

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• Plutarch on complexion and fragrance
• Apelles the painter failed to capture his
  complexion, making it too dark and swarthy
  Alexander was fair-skinned, but his pale
  coloration became ruddy, particularly in the
  chest area but also in the face. I have read
  that an agreable odour emanated from his skin and
  that his breath and whole physique had a
  fragrance that pervaded his clothes.
• Alexander 4

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Alexanders trademark hair-stylethe cows lick

• They say that Alexander, son of Philip, enjoyed
  natural good looks, with curly, fair hair, but
  they add there was something in his appearance
  that aroused fear. Aelian, Varia Historia 12
• He himself was of sharp expression and had a
  somewhat aquiline nose he made his hair curl
  upwards and lie back and away from his face.
• Itinerary of Alexander 6

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Portrait 1 of Alexander 340-330 BC

• Found near the Erectheion, Athens,1886
• Pentelic marble
• Height 0.35 m.
• Identified as Alexander on the basis of
  similarities with the Herm of Azara (Louvre),
  inscribed Alexander, son of Philip, Macedon.

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Typical portrait features

• Slight torsion of the neck, the head tilted
  upward reflective of a physical peculiarity or
  of Alexanders close link to the gods/Zeus
• Clean-shaven, unlike his father, Philip
• Luxuriant hair, swept back in a cowlick, giving a
  leonine appearance
• Deep-set eyes shadowed by a prominent brow,
  adding intensity to youthful energy
• Perhaps a hint of sensuality, of future
  susceptibility to eastern luxury in the full
  lips.

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Acropolis Alexander in profile

• The tapering of the hair at midhead indicates
  the earlier presence of a wreath or band.

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Portrait 2 of Alexanderearly 3rd century BC

• Found near Pella, in northern Greece
• Marble
• Height 0.32 m.

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Typical portrait features

• Very distinctive inclination of the head
• Thick, tousled mane of hair, suggestive of
  youthful energy and virility, combed back to
  reveal and offer contrast to the smooth beauty of
  the face
• Shadowed eyes and a slightly open mouth,
  down-turned, perhaps hinting at a potentially
  tendency towards melancholy

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Portraits 3 -Numismatic art

• Minted in Memphis
• Weight c. 17 g.
• Obverse beardless Herakles, wearing a lionskin
• Reverse Zeus seated on throne, holding eagle and
  sceptre
• approx. 330BC

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Silver tetradrachm of Lysimachus of
Thrace 305-281 BC

• Minted in Alexandria Troas
• Weight c. 17 g.
• Obverse head of Alexander, wearing diadem, with
  horn of Ammon
• Reverse (not shown) Athene seated with shield,
  holding Nike.

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Silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy of Egypt305-283 BC

• Minted in Alexandria, Egypt
• Weight c. 17 g.
• Obverse head of Alexander, wearing elephant
  scalp and aegis
• Reverse Athene standing, hurling spear.

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Coins - summary

• The coins of the successors are minted for
  propaganda purposes and provide an idealised,
  youthful image of Alexander
• Alexander, now deified, properly replaces the
  image of a deity.
• Portraits are romanticised, although the
  prominent brow, deep-set eyes and full lips
  regularly feature.

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The Alexander mosaic - Pompeii

• Found in the House of the Faun, Pompeii
• Dating to the 2nd century BC, but probably based
  on a more or less contemporary Greek painting

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Detail insights

• Alexander appears to be grimly focussed on his
  opponent, Darius wide-eyed, fixated, pupils
  enlarged.
• His lips are full, but curling downward, in a
  fiercely determined expression his nose straight
  and prominent.
• His hair is quite dark, but relieved by golden
  highlights and swept back, emphasising the speed
  and force of the charge forward perhaps
  leonine.

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Alexanders height

• No art work conveys Alexanders height. He was
  certainly smaller than Hephaistion.
• Two anecdotes are recorded about his small
  stature
• Sisygambis, captured at Issus, does obeisance
  before Hephaistion, because he is the more
  imposing figure. Quintus Curtius Rufus, 3.12
• When Alexander sits on Darius throne his
  feet dangle, so a Page places a table under his
  feet to support them. Diodorus Siculus, 17.66

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Two modern contrasting views

• Ian Worthington He did not have the looks of a
  model his neck appeared to the left so his face
  appeared lop-sided and his eyes were watery he
  had a long thin nose and his forehead bulged
  above the eyes.
• Robin Lane Fox Like his father, he was a very
  handsome man. His nose was straight, his
  forehead was prominent and his chin short but
  jutting. His mouth revealed emotion.