La famiglia di Dario dinanzi ad Alessandro

The Family of Darius before Alexander, painted in 1743 and now at the Kunsthaus Zürich, depicts Alexander the Great's magnanimous reception of the captured Persian royal family after the Battle of Issus — an episode celebrated in both ancient literature and later European painting tradition as an exemplum of royal clemency. The wives, daughters, and mother of Darius III, prostrating themselves before Alexander and mistaking his companion Hephaestion for the Macedonian king, received from Alexander a legendary assurance that they would be treated with royal respect. Tiepolo transforms the ancient historical episode into a grand theatrical tableau — figures in exotic costume arranged in a palatial setting — that glorifies both the classical subject and the Venetian decorative tradition he was simultaneously embodying and extending.

The painting showcases Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's luminous palette, with bravura brushwork lending the work its distinctive character. The palette and brushwork are calibrated to serve the subject matter, demonstrating the technical command expected of a work from this period.