Alexander the Great Rescued from the River Cydnus

Pietro Testa Italian

Not on view

During his campaign against Darius, Alexander halted at Tarsus to bathe in the Cydnus: "But hardly had he entered it when his limbs began to stiffen with a sudden chill, then he lost his color, and the vital warmth left almost his entire body. His attendants . . . carried him almost unconscious to his tent" (Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander III, V:1–4). To the left is the aged river god. To the right smoke rises from the fire set in Tarsus by Darius's retreating troops. The picture was painted shortly before Testa drowned in the Tiber, apparently a suicide.

Alexander the Great Rescued from the River Cydnus, Pietro Testa (Italian, Lucca 1612–1650 Rome), Oil on canvas

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.