Portraits of Alexander the Great
Ancient authors
Plutarch on the famous “tilt”:
Alexander’s features are best depicted in those
statues of him made by Lysippus, the only artist
by whom Alexander felt he should be sculpted.
As a matter of fact, the features which most of
the successors and Alexander’s friends later
tried to affect have been accurately caught by
the artist: the angle of the neck, slightly inclined
to the left, and the languishing glance of the
eyes. Alexander 4
Plutarch on complexion and “fragrance”:
Apelles [the painter] … failed to capture his
complexion, making it too dark and swarthy …
Alexander was fair-skinned, but his pale
coloration became ruddy, particularly in the
chest area but also in the face. … I have read
that an agreable odour emanated from his skin
and that his breath and whole physique had a
fragrance that pervaded his clothes.
Alexander 4
Alexander’s trademark hair-style:
“the cow’s lick”
They say that Alexander, son of Philip, enjoyed
natural good looks, with curly, fair hair, but they
add there was something in his appearance that
aroused fear. Aelian, Varia Historia 12
He himself was of sharp expression and had a
somewhat aquiline nose … he made his hair curl
upwards and lie back and away from his face.
Itinerary of Alexander 6
Portrait 1 of Alexander
340-330 BC
• Found near the
Erectheion, Athens,1886
• Pentelic marble
• Height : 0.35 m.
• Identified as Alexander on
the basis of similarities
with the Herm of Azara
(Louvre), inscribed
“Alexander, [son] of
Philip, Macedon.”
Typical portrait features
• Slight torsion of the neck, the head tilted upward
– reflective of a physical peculiarity or of
Alexander’s close link to the gods/Zeus
• Clean-shaven, unlike his father, Philip
• Luxuriant hair, swept back in a cowlick, giving a
leonine appearance
• Deep-set eyes shadowed by a prominent brow,
adding intensity to youthful energy
• Perhaps a hint of sensuality, of future
susceptibility to eastern luxury in the full lips.
Acropolis Alexander in profile
The tapering of the
hair at midhead
indicates the earlier
presence of a wreath
or band.
Portrait 2 of Alexander
early 3rd century BC
• Found near Pella, in
northern Greece
• Marble
• Height: 0.32 m.
Typical portrait features
• Very distinctive inclination of the head
• Thick, tousled mane of hair, suggestive of
youthful energy and virility, combed back
to reveal and offer contrast to the smooth
beauty of the face
• Shadowed eyes and a slightly open
mouth, down-turned, perhaps hinting at a
potentially tendency towards melancholy
Portraits 3 -Numismatic art
• Minted in Memphis
• Weight: c. 17 g.
• Obverse: beardless
Herakles, wearing a
lionskin
• Reverse: Zeus seated on
throne, holding eagle and
sceptre
• approx. 330BC
Silver tetradrachm of Lysimachus of Thrace
305-281 BC
• Minted in Alexandria
Troas
• Weight: c. 17 g.
• Obverse: head of
Alexander, wearing
diadem, with horn of
Ammon
• Reverse (not shown):
Athene seated with
shield, holding Nike.
Silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy of Egypt
305-283 BC
• Minted in Alexandria,
Egypt
• Weight: c. 17 g.
• Obverse: head of
Alexander, wearing
elephant scalp and
aegis
• Reverse: Athene
standing, hurling
spear.
Coins - summary
• The coins of the successors are minted for
propaganda purposes and provide an
idealised, youthful image of Alexander
• Alexander, now deified, properly replaces
the image of a deity.
• “Portraits” are romanticised, although the
prominent brow, deep-set eyes and full lips
regularly feature.
The Alexander mosaic - Pompeii
• Found in the House of the Faun, Pompeii
• Dating to the 2nd century BC, but probably based
on a more or less contemporary Greek painting
Detail insights
• Alexander appears to be grimly focussed on his
opponent, Darius – wide-eyed, fixated, pupils
enlarged.
• His lips are full, but curling downward, in a
fiercely determined expression; his nose straight
and prominent.
• His hair is quite dark, but relieved by golden
highlights and swept back, emphasising the
speed and force of the charge forward –
perhaps “leonine”.
Alexander’s height
• No art work conveys Alexander’s height. He was
certainly smaller than Hephaistion.
• Two anecdotes are recorded about his small
stature:
Sisygambis, captured at Issus, does obeisance
before Hephaistion, because he is the more
imposing figure. Quintus Curtius Rufus, 3.12
When Alexander sits on Darius’ throne his feet
dangle, so a Page places a table under his feet
to support them. Diodorus Siculus, 17.66
Two modern contrasting views
• Ian Worthington: He did not
have the looks of a model: his
neck appeared to the left so
his face appeared lop-sided
and his eyes were watery …
he had a long thin nose and
his forehead bulged above the
eyes.
• Robin Lane Fox: Like his
father, he was a very
handsome man. His nose …
was straight, his forehead was
prominent and his chin short
but jutting. His mouth revealed
emotion.