Lot 315: Frederick Van Valckenborch (c. 1570-1623)

Frederick Van Valckenborch (c. 1570-1623) Alexander the Great and his Captains recovering the dying Persian Emperor Darius after the Battle of The Issus Signed and dated 1611 Oil on canvas 53 x 68cm; 21 x 26¾in This powerful and dramatic battle scene by Valckenborch shows the moment when Alexander the Great encounters a dying Darius and subsequently declares himself, supposedly at Darius' request, as the legitimate heir to the Persian Empire. Darius was not killed in battle but was murdered shortly after by his brother Bessus and the Persian Nobles who rebelled against his waning power. They left his body for Alexander to find in the hope that this would satisfy his lust for power and territory. However Alexander subsequently gave Darius a full state burial to help reinforce his right to the throne in the eyes of the Persians. He then went on to hunt down and kill Bessus as an usurper as he had also declared himself as the heir to the Persian throne. The work shows a very strong influence from the picture by his first cousin Gillis van Valckenborsch in the National Gallery in Prague, of the same subject, dating from 1600. Provenance: Samuel Day of Hinton House, Hinton Charterhouse (1757-1806) Mary Day, his widow till 1846 Thomas Jones (1788-1848) who inherited the estate from her Edward Talbot Day Jones (1837-1911) and thence by descent to the present owner Literature: Probably the picture in the list of the paintings made for Mrs Day after the death of her husband in 1806 referred to as: A Battle by Vandermulen Inventory of all the Household...including Paintings at Hinton Charterhouse, the Property of the Late Thomas Jones made August 23rd-28th 1848 by English and Sons, Bath referred to as : The Battle of Joshua - by F. D. Falkenborg 1611 Some restoration visible especially on the right hand margin. Some re-touching visible under u.v. especially in the sky, old lining