Alexander den Stores triumf 1628 - 1630

Curator: What a captivating whirlwind of a sketch! It feels so raw and immediate, like catching a fleeting thought. Editor: Yes, it's dynamic. We're looking at a drawing attributed to Peter Paul Rubens, titled "Alexander den Stores triumf" or "The Triumph of Alexander the Great," created sometime between 1628 and 1630. It’s currently housed at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Curator: Rubens really captured the sheer energy of triumph here. Look at Alexander, seemingly stepping forward with a bold swagger while also being a tad overwhelmed by the spectacle of the situation—an angel on his shoulders even! I imagine I'd react in a similar, sheepish manner after such success. And then a horse! Magnificent creatures. Editor: Precisely! It's history painting boiled down to its essence. Rubens is using ink to explore power, victory, and the construction of historical narratives. Think about the context: Alexander, a figure deeply embedded in Western ideals of leadership and conquest, his image forever tied to empire and colonization. Curator: Empires of the mind, empires of ambition... Is it any wonder then that my gaze wanders directly to the person cowering at Alexander’s feet? He or she doesn't get much glory, that one! And why did Rubens feel compelled to scrawl below the image? Editor: Indeed! Who gets written out of this narrative? About the scrawl at the bottom, the caption, probably made later in life, is a crucial detail. These drawings are not just about the heroic, dominant figure of Alexander, but the price paid to project such idealized visions onto humanity. Curator: It's like a peek behind the curtain, realizing the human cost of our grand stories. Editor: I concur; to analyze further such questions and doubts may require further contextual and theoretical framework outside this exhibit. Curator: I am grateful that we get to wonder! Editor: So am I. Thank you!