The mountain and the town behind the battle are fictional and, behind them, we find the island of Cyprus and the River Nile, geographical accidents that are impossible to see in the same picture. The sun, representing the West, comes from behind the mountains while a moon, representing the Muslims, fades and hides in the upper left corner of the painting. The armies are situated in a dreamlike scenario. In the center, we find Darius III in a chariot pulled by three horses while Alexander chases him with a spear. Alexander’s army is wearing steel armor, while the Persian army only wears red robes and turbans. In the foreground, we can look at the battle between the two armies. The battle of Alexander at Issus is not the accurate portrayal of a historical event, it is an allegory.
With this painting, Altdorfer’s only intention is to show us the heroic achievement of the army of Alexander the Great against the foreign barbarians, and therefore he does not mind using symbols, anachronisms and, even, wrong information. In 1529, the ottomans sieged Vienna in their greatest advance in Europe, but they were eventually defeated. The reason for the choice of this battle is significant because, during the time of Altdorfer, the Ottoman Empire also moved westward and several wars were fought in eastern and central Europe. The battle culminates in the victory of Alexander and prevents Muslims to conquer the west. The battle of Alexander at Issus shows the battle of Alexander the Great against the troops of the Persian Empire under the command of their king, Darius III, in 333 BC.
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In 1528, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria commissioned Altdorfer with a series of historical paintings to hang in his home in Munich. They found their inspiration in biblical and historical motifs. With other artists, they became known as the Danube School. The battle of Alexander at Issus | Albrecht Altdorfer | 1529Īfter traveling through the Alps in southern Germany, Altdorfer was so impressed by their beauty that he became the first painter of landscapes in the sense we know them.
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