CROSATO, Storia Greco-Romana, Villa MARCELLO --.

Speranza

The subject matter of the four wall scenes focus on events in the life of ALESSANDRO the Great, as described by PLUTARCO.

They were chosen with the intention of holding the viewer's attention through a wide range of PSYCHOLOGICAL states.

From the dramatic to the sentimental, from the festive to the ironic.

In FACT there is an obvious contrast in tone between the scenes that flank the entrance door to the ballroom -- which depict ALESSANDRO before the corpse of DARIO and The marriage of ALESSANDRO and ROXANE.

In the first episode, with DARIO, the theatrical gesture of ALESSANDRO, who uses his own red cloack to cover the body of DARIO, is highly melodramatic.

In the second, it's all festive.

The same can be said of the second group.

One is a sentimental representation of an astronished and almost embarrassed ALESSANDRO facing the wife and small daughters of DARIO, who kneel at his feet, begging for mercy.

The final episode is an ironic, piquant description of APELLES at work painting a portrait of ALESSANDRO's lover. Alessandro appears to be offering advice, clearly not requested. So beautiful is she that the painter will fall in love. And Alessandro, exhibiting his great generosity, will give the woman to APELLES on the spot. But did SHE agree?