Sick Alexander the Great and his Physician Philippos

Hans Wertinger, court painter to the Dukes of Bavaria in Landshut, created this Sick Alexander the Great and his Physician Philippos around 1517. The classical subject—depicting Alexander's trust in his physician despite warnings of poison—reflected the humanist interests of the Bavarian court. The 1510s were a decade of extraordinary artistic achievement across Europe, shaped by the mature works of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and the Venetian masters.

The panel shows Wertinger's characteristic Bavarian court style with detailed narrative composition, warm color, and the blend of naturalism and classical reference typical of southern German court painting.