Raffaello - Die Hochzeit von Alexander und Roxane

Alexander stands in the center, extending a crown toward the seated Roxane while a figure, likely Hephaestion, gestures toward the couple. Playful putti surround them, with some assisting Roxane with her sandals and others in the background playing with Alexander’s discarded spear and armor. The scene is a red chalk study focusing on the harmonious arrangement of idealized figures and the delicate interplay of light.

The work is a celebrated example of Renaissance ekphrasis, reconstructing a lost painting by the ancient artist Aetion as described in the writings of Lucian. It reflects the Neoplatonic ideal of 'Concordia,' where the ferocity of the warrior is tempered by beauty and love, a theme central to the humanistic philosophy of the High Renaissance.