Portrait of Alexander the Great

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Literary sources reveal that Alexander, who ruled from 336 to 323 BC, selectively commissioned only a handful of artists to create his likeness. Prominent names like sculptor Lysippos and painter Apelles were associated with his portraiture, although none of the iconic images have been recovered. Instead, many sculptures in various materials as well as portraits on gemstones and coins survive, primarily crafted long after Alexander's death. While these portraits exhibit similar general characteristics, they also display a range of styles. Alexander consistently appeared clean-shaven in his portraits, marking an innovation: all previous depictions of Greek statesmen or rulers sported beards. This royal fashion persisted for nearly five hundred years and was adopted by almost every Hellenistic king and Roman emperor until Hadrian, with the notable exception being Alexander's decision to wear the royal diadem, a cloth band tied around his hair that would become the emblem of Hellenistic kingship. Portraits of Alexander created prior to his death often featured him in heroic style, projecting a more mature image. Conversely, posthumous portraits depict him as youthful and god-like, with longer hair, a dynamic head tilt, and an upward gaze, mirroring his description in literary sources. This particular portrait was acquired in Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander in 331 BC, which also housed his tomb. As the capital of the longest-lasting Hellenistic dynasty, the Ptolemies, from the reign of Ptolemy I Soter ('Saviour') (305-282 BC) onwards, Alexander was revered as a god and the forefather of the dynasty.