Beauty, Seduction and Sharing
N.P. Berchem
Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, born in Haarlem in 1621/1622, was the son of a still life painter, Pieter Claesz, with whom he trained but whose path he did not follow. At the start of his career, he successfully practised the genre scene and helped popularise the bambocciata style. He devoted himself to bucolic landscapes of Italian inspiration with elegant figures in compositions of fantastical architectures, and also made paintings of hunting, horses and battles.
This painting depicts the battle fought next to the river Hydaspes, between Alexander the Great and king Porus. Unique in the artist’s production and indeed Dutch painting as a whole, it reveals the enduring fascination with Alexander over a long period, made even more appealing through reference to classical culture and the exotic climes evoked by Alexander’s campaigns in India.
Without knowing the original provenance – the first documentary reference dates from 1766 – the theme and size, and the heroic style, suggest that it was commissioned by William III, Prince of Orange, named Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic in 1672. His victories against the powerful armies of France and England made him, in the eyes of his contemporaries, a new Alexander, worthy of celebration through one of the most prominent Dutch artists of the last quarter of the seventeenth century.
Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm
Credits:
Artworks from Gaudium Magnum Foundation – Maria and João Cortez de Lobão
"The Battle between Alexander and Porus at the River Hydaspes", by Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem
Location:
