![Charles Le Brun - Alexander Entering Babylon, or Triumph of Alexander [1665] by Gandalf's Gallery](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5531/9551284909_52d0e5b97f.jpg)
Charles Le Brun - Alexander Entering Babylon, or Triumph of Alexander [1665], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.
Charles Le Brun had chosen a grand subject and needed to find a style with the appropriate blend of gravity and solemnity. It was also necessary to maintain the legibility crucial to a work with so many figures, while conveying the diversity of the temples, vases, weapons, musical instruments, and costumes that make the scene immediately recognisable. Lastly, he needed to give the illusion not only of a moving procession, but also of a realistic city spreading out.
Le Brun exhibited four works at the Salon of 1673, where they were admired for their great size and lively composition. An allusion to the grandeur of the reign of Louis XIV is evident, the political position clearly stated. The four works, later reproduced as tapestries, were part of the collections of Louis XIV. From the Royal Collections, the works entered the Muséum Central des Arts, which would later become the Louvre.
[Louvre Museum, Paris - Oil on canvas, 450 x 707 cm]