Around a decade ago, I stood in front of this painting to present my final project to my renaissance art history class and lecturer. It was a surreal experience to talk about such an important piece in one of the greatest art museums in the world, having guests of the museum stop to listen to me, surrounded by the intense energy of the old masters.
Bravo, Ms. Allen! First time in my 82 years that I've appreciated an oversized painting like this, It's never too late to be awakened to something that was always there - as opposed to "something new." Thanks so much
I loved from the beginning to the end of this video all the knowledge that this teacher Karly Allen passed on this painting, she has a very affectionate way and at the same time muto instructive in her words in which she totally caught my attention. I'm super delighted, I hope to see more videos with this teacher, a big hug to all involved of the National Gallery, from Recife, Brazil
I love this series of talks from the National Gallery and was thrilled to see this video on one of my all-time favourite paintings at the gallery. Karly Allen clearly knows her stuff about Veronese and I enjoyed most of the talk but was surprised and disappointed that Ms Allen so misrepresents the significance of Alexander's response to Sisygambis's error which is the nugget of this telling episode in Alexander's life (and thus the focus of this painting.) Ms Allen's description of his response as "Hephaestion is also an Alexander, we're all Alexander" may communicate the magnanimity of Alexander's response but suggests that Alexander is some self-effacing man-of-the-people who thought it was a lark when strangers mistook others for him. This however is a poor rendering of his lapidary response (which is the reason why this episode is remembered, and depicted, in Veronese's time and our own). Alexander is reported to have replied "He too [i.e. Hephaestion] is Alexander" which conveys and emphasises the uniquely close nature of the friendship between Alexander and Hephaestion (to whom Ms Allen refers, somewhat coyly, as merely his "good friend" (not even "closest friend"?); considering that the two men compared themselves to the fantastically loyal Achilles and Patroclus, "good friends" seems an understatement.) Anyway, this episode is important when viewing Alexander's life not only because it shows his mercy toward Darius's family and magnanimity in the face of Sisygambis's (very minor and unintentional) slight but also because it confirms the high esteem in which Alexander holds Hephaestion. By downplaying Alexander's response, Ms Allen makes the episode depicted in the painting less forceful and somewhat wishy-washy, as though he was painfully modest ("Aw, shucks, Miss Sisygambis, 'tis my men who deserve all the credit, not I") rather than loyal and noble in victory. I still enjoyed most of this talk very much though.
Kudos to the National Gallery to give us these educative insights into major artwork such as this. Pearls in an age of mediocrity. I am underwhelmed however by the camera position, and the lack of proper editing of both colors and sound. The camera should have been set a higher level to help us appreciate the painting from a 90° angle. The keystoning effect seems to have been corrected in post-production, but it does not offset the low viewing angle. The colors ought to have been properly white-balanced to remove the blue haze given off by the ceiling light hitting a vast expense of green wallpaper. The sound lacks in clarity and crispness, with muddy mid-ranges and watered-down trebles. Also, Mrs. Allen's natural mouth noises could have been edited out to allow sensitive ears to focus on the content than on the form. Granted, these steps require a budget that the Gallery may or may not have. But the purpose of these interesting lectures certainly deserves a bit of extra attention to their production value.
Fascinating lecture. We often hear that the colour has deteriorated - is less blue, less red ... I would love to see these pictures restored digitally so we could get a better idea of how the original colour was.
As to the question of who is Alexander and who is Hephaestion, I've been puzzling on this for years and am still not prepared to say with 100% certainty which figure is who. I really love the deliberate ambiguity that Veronese introduces by making either possibility likely. Having said this, if I had to choose I'd probably say that Alexander is the man in red since he is clearly the one speaking his famous lapidary response and the hand gestures make sense if he is shushing Sisygambis's apologies (upon realising her error) and indicating his "alter ego" Hephaestion (rather than H. shushing S.'s misdirected thanks and indicating their correct recipient, A.) Also, it is often remarked in the accounts of Alexander's life that he was small for his size and that Hephaestion was the taller of the two. Although the two figures seem to be of comparable height, the man in orange is slightly taller, indicating to me at least that this is Hephaestion.
Excellent presentation. I know very little but I am guessing the bearded male in the center would be an interpreter, no? Likely they did not speak the same language... Just a thought
The picture is affected by a greenish tint which is probably the result of the green walls reflecting on the canvas. National Gallery, please do the obvious, have only white, or neutral green backgrounds for all works. Even tough the human eye can "accommodate" for this kind of deviations, accommodation is limited and it doesn't work any more when the paintings are photographed.
I cannot believe that this woman Karla Allen is turning this Renaissance masterpiece in a discussion about gender! Does she not know anything about the life of Alexander and how he has just defeated their King Darius at the battles of Issus and Gaugamela? These women are in danger of losing their life! It’s well known that Alexander showed chivalry in the treatment of Darius’s family. For me she has just turned this masterpiece into something trivial.
Is there no zoom? The view is so long that, to a short-sighted person like me, it's purely impressionistic. No monkeys. No turbans. I have to use it as pure audio book.
"...The Dafa [Great Law] that saves already spreads on the world’s stage..." full poem: "Vows From the Ancient Past Are Calling We came from the depths of the cosmos With our compassionate hearts open Carrying wishes entrusted to us Carrying hope We descended to the world to wait for the Creator, who will Re-create celestial bodies, save beings of all cosmic realms, and open wide the heavenly gate This is the wish you and I came with-yet it’s buried The world’s morality declines, no longer are we holy and pure, honest and simple Often we give in to the temptations of fame, gain, and qing [sentiments] Modern notions lead us further and further away from Gods, heading to the cliff The Dafa [Great Law] that saves already spreads on the world’s stage This is the wish and longing you brought with you from the remote past Seek Dafa disciples to learn the truth, step out of delusion Hear the call from heavens, walk toward the divine path August 21, 2016" Master Li Hongzhi (Hong Yin V, from Falun Dafa teachings)
"...At the end times the Creator spreads Fa [Great Law]..." full poem: "The Human World Is a Maze Someone asks me the meaning of cultivation I say, I have found myself Known the purpose of being human And understood where people are heading Most people came from distant cosmic bodies Coming here to gain Dafa [Great Law] and elevate their lives At the end times the Creator spreads Fa principles in the human world Saving all beings amid disaster The human world is a maze Modern notions and conduct will destroy you, me, and others Zhen-Shan-Ren [Truth, Compassion, Forbearance] is the unchanging iron law of the cosmos In reincarnation we’ve forgotten the purpose of our coming to the world Dafa disciples are spreading the truth They will tell you the way out of the maze September 11, 2016" Master Li Hongzhi (Hong Yin V, from Falun Dafa teachings)
Sigh. There is no doubt which one is Hephaestion and which one is Alexander. Hephaestion was known as a dandy who always dressed in sumptuous, richely coloured clothing, while Alexander dressed as a soldier.
Around a decade ago, I stood in front of this painting to present my final project to my renaissance art history class and lecturer. It was a surreal experience to talk about such an important piece in one of the greatest art museums in the world, having guests of the museum stop to listen to me, surrounded by the intense energy of the old masters.
Wow!!
That's great.
Bravo, Ms. Allen! First time in my 82 years that I've appreciated an oversized painting like this, It's never too late to be awakened to something that was always there - as opposed to "something new." Thanks so much
Thank-you for introducing me to this painting.
Our pleasure!
I loved from the beginning to the end of this video all the knowledge that this teacher Karly Allen passed on this painting, she has a very affectionate way and at the same time muto instructive in her words in which she totally caught my attention. I'm super delighted, I hope to see more videos with this teacher, a big hug to all involved of the National Gallery, from Recife, Brazil
Thank you so much, with love from New Jersey , USA
I love this series of talks from the National Gallery and was thrilled to see this video on one of my all-time favourite paintings at the gallery. Karly Allen clearly knows her stuff about Veronese and I enjoyed most of the talk but was surprised and disappointed that Ms Allen so misrepresents the significance of Alexander's response to Sisygambis's error which is the nugget of this telling episode in Alexander's life (and thus the focus of this painting.) Ms Allen's description of his response as "Hephaestion is also an Alexander, we're all Alexander" may communicate the magnanimity of Alexander's response but suggests that Alexander is some self-effacing man-of-the-people who thought it was a lark when strangers mistook others for him. This however is a poor rendering of his lapidary response (which is the reason why this episode is remembered, and depicted, in Veronese's time and our own). Alexander is reported to have replied "He too [i.e. Hephaestion] is Alexander" which conveys and emphasises the uniquely close nature of the friendship between Alexander and Hephaestion (to whom Ms Allen refers, somewhat coyly, as merely his "good friend" (not even "closest friend"?); considering that the two men compared themselves to the fantastically loyal Achilles and Patroclus, "good friends" seems an understatement.) Anyway, this episode is important when viewing Alexander's life not only because it shows his mercy toward Darius's family and magnanimity in the face of Sisygambis's (very minor and unintentional) slight but also because it confirms the high esteem in which Alexander holds Hephaestion. By downplaying Alexander's response, Ms Allen makes the episode depicted in the painting less forceful and somewhat wishy-washy, as though he was painfully modest ("Aw, shucks, Miss Sisygambis, 'tis my men who deserve all the credit, not I") rather than loyal and noble in victory. I still enjoyed most of this talk very much though.
One of my favourites!
Kudos to the National Gallery to give us these educative insights into major artwork such as this. Pearls in an age of mediocrity. I am underwhelmed however by the camera position, and the lack of proper editing of both colors and sound. The camera should have been set a higher level to help us appreciate the painting from a 90° angle. The keystoning effect seems to have been corrected in post-production, but it does not offset the low viewing angle. The colors ought to have been properly white-balanced to remove the blue haze given off by the ceiling light hitting a vast expense of green wallpaper. The sound lacks in clarity and crispness, with muddy mid-ranges and watered-down trebles. Also, Mrs. Allen's natural mouth noises could have been edited out to allow sensitive ears to focus on the content than on the form. Granted, these steps require a budget that the Gallery may or may not have. But the purpose of these interesting lectures certainly deserves a bit of extra attention to their production value.
I always thought Bucephalus was looking at his master, Alexander, who is in the back. Now I wonder. Excellent presentation.
Fascinating lecture. We often hear that the colour has deteriorated - is less blue, less red ... I would love to see these pictures restored digitally so we could get a better idea of how the original colour was.
Watching from Wyoming-as usual, Thank You! 😷
We're glad you enjoyed the video Melanie, thanks for tuning in!
As to the question of who is Alexander and who is Hephaestion, I've been puzzling on this for years and am still not prepared to say with 100% certainty which figure is who. I really love the deliberate ambiguity that Veronese introduces by making either possibility likely. Having said this, if I had to choose I'd probably say that Alexander is the man in red since he is clearly the one speaking his famous lapidary response and the hand gestures make sense if he is shushing Sisygambis's apologies (upon realising her error) and indicating his "alter ego" Hephaestion (rather than H. shushing S.'s misdirected thanks and indicating their correct recipient, A.) Also, it is often remarked in the accounts of Alexander's life that he was small for his size and that Hephaestion was the taller of the two. Although the two figures seem to be of comparable height, the man in orange is slightly taller, indicating to me at least that this is Hephaestion.
Excellent presentation. I know very little but I am guessing the bearded male in the center would be an interpreter, no? Likely they did not speak the same language... Just a thought
❤❤❤
The picture is affected by a greenish tint which is probably the result of the green walls reflecting on the canvas. National Gallery, please do the obvious, have only white, or neutral green backgrounds for all works. Even tough the human eye can "accommodate" for this kind of deviations, accommodation is limited and it doesn't work any more when the paintings are photographed.
Veronese was seaurosly one of the best colorist.This subject is intrtesting for mee.
👏👏👏
I cannot believe that this woman Karla Allen is turning this Renaissance masterpiece in a discussion about gender! Does she not know anything about the life of Alexander and how he has just defeated their King Darius at the battles of Issus and Gaugamela? These women are in danger of losing their life! It’s well known that Alexander showed chivalry in the treatment of Darius’s family. For me she has just turned this masterpiece into something trivial.
Is there no zoom? The view is so long that, to a short-sighted person like me, it's purely impressionistic. No monkeys. No turbans. I have to use it as pure audio book.
It's big zisa I so paint litle and small pictur flower from remember.
"...The Dafa [Great Law] that saves already spreads on the world’s stage..."
full poem:
"Vows From the Ancient Past Are Calling
We came from the depths of the cosmos
With our compassionate hearts open
Carrying wishes entrusted to us
Carrying hope
We descended to the world to wait for the Creator, who will
Re-create celestial bodies, save beings of all cosmic realms, and open wide the heavenly gate
This is the wish you and I came with-yet it’s buried
The world’s morality declines, no longer are we holy and pure, honest and simple
Often we give in to the temptations of fame, gain, and qing [sentiments]
Modern notions lead us further and further away from Gods, heading to the cliff
The Dafa [Great Law] that saves already spreads on the world’s stage
This is the wish and longing you brought with you from the remote past
Seek Dafa disciples to learn the truth, step out of delusion
Hear the call from heavens, walk toward the divine path
August 21, 2016"
Master Li Hongzhi (Hong Yin V, from Falun Dafa teachings)
Really hard to enjoy the wonderful Veronese colours with that blueish tint all over the video.
available online for close perusal
🇹🇷😍🤗SEVGİLER....!!! 💖💖💖💖😍🤗
"...At the end times the Creator spreads Fa [Great Law]..."
full poem:
"The Human World Is a Maze
Someone asks me the meaning of cultivation
I say, I have found myself
Known the purpose of being human
And understood where people are heading
Most people came from distant cosmic bodies
Coming here to gain Dafa [Great Law] and elevate their lives
At the end times the Creator spreads Fa principles in the human world
Saving all beings amid disaster
The human world is a maze
Modern notions and conduct will destroy you, me, and others
Zhen-Shan-Ren [Truth, Compassion, Forbearance] is the unchanging iron law of the cosmos
In reincarnation we’ve forgotten the purpose of our coming to the world
Dafa disciples are spreading the truth
They will tell you the way out of the maze
September 11, 2016"
Master Li Hongzhi (Hong Yin V, from Falun Dafa teachings)
Sigh. There is no doubt which one is Hephaestion and which one is Alexander. Hephaestion was known as a dandy who always dressed in sumptuous, richely coloured clothing, while Alexander dressed as a soldier.
She must go to the same hairdresser as David Jacobi
nice painting, horrible orator
another paint stolen by the national gallery
It was purchased.