Alexander de Grote trouwt met Stateira II te Susa c. 1655 - 1665

Leonaert Bramer made this pen and wash drawing depicting "Alexander the Great Marries Stateira II in Susa." Ancient history was a source of moral lessons for Bramer’s time. Here, Alexander’s marriage to Stateira, daughter of Darius III of Persia, symbolizes political reconciliation through matrimony, a narrative relevant to the Dutch Republic’s own diplomatic ambitions in the 17th century. Susa, the site of the wedding, evokes the exoticism of the East, reflecting the growing cultural exchange between Europe and the wider world. But Bramer also reflects a Northern European attitude toward classical subjects, as the rough sketch and washed tones, in contrast to the high finish of Italianate history painting, imply that true virtue lies in authentic simplicity. By studying Bramer’s sketch in the context of Dutch social and political aspirations, with the help of period documents, we can understand how art serves as a cultural mirror, reflecting and shaping the values of its time.