Sep 28, 2025
Alexander the Great on his Sickbed
Artist: C.W. Eckersberg (Danish, 1783-1853)
Date: 1806
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark
Description
Philippus, physician to Alexander the Great, has been wrongly accused of seeking to poison Alexander, and is now reading the charges against him on Alexander’s sickbed. Around 1800, many artists used scenes from history as a narrative device for outlining a moral dilemma or drama. Alexander the Great was an unusual choice; at this point in time he was generally considered a tyrant.
#history patient#historical narrative#artwork#ancient history#alexander the great#interior#phillippus#document#reading#men#sickbed#drinking#servants#costume#drapery#tunic#textiles#table#painting#oil on canvas#fine art#oil painting#danish culture#danish art#c.w. eckersberg#danish painter#european painter#19th century painting#statens museum for kunst
