in the eastern Mediterranean with a view from Greece to the Nile in
Egypt. In addition, Altdorfer may have acquired his information
about this battle from the German scholar Johannes Aventinus
(1477–1534). In his account, Aventinus described the bloody day-
long battle and Alexander’s ultimate victory. Appropriately, given
Alexander’s designation as the “sun god,” the sun sets over the victo-
rious Greeks on the right, while a small crescent moon (a symbol of
the Near East) hovers in the upper left corner over the retreating
Persians.
HANS HOLBEIN Choosing less dramatic scenes,Hans Holbein
the Younger(ca. 1497–1543) excelled as a portraitist. Trained by his
father, Holbein produced portraits reflecting the Northern European
tradition of close realism that had emerged in 15th-century Flemish
art (see Chapter 20). Yet he also incorporated Italian ideas about
monumental composition and sculpturesque form. The surfaces of
his paintings are as lustrous as enamel, his detail is exact and exquis-
itely drawn, and his contrasts of light and dark are never heavy.
Holbein began his artistic career in Basel, where he knew Erasmus
of Rotterdam. Because of the immediate threat of a religious civil war
in Basel, Erasmus suggested that Holbein leave for England and gave
him a recommendation to Thomas More, chancellor of England under
Henry VIII. Holbein did move and became painter to the English
court. While there, he produced a superb double portrait of the FrenchHoly Roman Empire 63323-8Albrecht
Altdorfer,Battle of Issus,- Oil on wood, 5 2 –^14
3 11 –^14 . Alte Pinakothek,
Munich.
Interweaving history and
16th-century politics,
Albrecht Altdorfer painted
Alexander the Great’s defeat
of the Persians for a patron
who had just embarked on
a military campaign against
the Turks.
1 ft.