The Family of Darius Before Alexander Poster

This poster features Veronese's The Family of Darius Before Alexander. The story illustrates the mistake made by the family of Darius, the defeated Persian Emperor, in identifying Alexander after the Battle of Issus.

Alexander and his friend Hephaestion visited Darius's tent; the mother of Darius, misled by Hephaestion's splendour and bearing, offered him the obeisance due to the victorious monarch; Alexander forgave her.

Appropriately there is no consensus as to which figure is intended for Alexander, but the figure in red is more likely since he speaks to comfort the queen. The gesture of the Darius' mother towards the princess (sister of Darius' wife) doubtless refers to the offer of her as a bride to the conqueror.

The Family of Darius Before Alexander by Paolo Veronese was the focus of the Take One Picture schools course, 2010/11. Take One Picture looks at ways of using paintings in the classroom as a starting point for delivering many areas of the National Curriculum. This principle aligns closely with the DCSF Primary National Strategy: Excellence and Enjoyment, which supports a holistic approach to the curriculum by exploiting the links between subject areas.