The Clemency of Alexander towards the Family of Darius

The painting constitutes the preparatory model for the central frescoed octagon on the vault of the Sala di Alessandro in Palazzo Nagliati-Braghini- Rossetti in Ferrara, which depicts an episode from the deeds of Alexander the Great (1). The decoration of the palace was entrusted to Giani and his workshop in 1822, during a mature phase of his career. A comparison between the sketch and the final fresco version reveals slight variants, mainly traceable to the pose of the female figure in the background on the left; in the study, she appears with her hands clasped in an attitude of supplication, whereas in the fresco her arms are open, heightening the theatrical impact of the scene. About twenty years earlier, Giani had already approached the subject in the Sala di Alessandro at Palazzo Naldi in Faenza, adopting a very similar compositional layout (2). A squared preparatory drawing is also known for the 1802 fresco (3). Furthermore, the compositional structure of these works finds a match in other decorations executed in previous years, such as The Departure of Attilius Regulus for Carthage in Palazzo Aldini and Chryses Beseeching Agamemnon to Return his Daughter Chryseis in Palazzo Milzetti (4).