Diogenes and Alexander by Langetti: Stand Out of My Sunlight (c. 1650)
A king in full command of the world leans toward a half-naked man who will not stand up for him. Sunlight matters more than empire. In Giovan Battista Langetti's Diogenes and Alexander (c. 1650), the punch line of an ancient anecdote becomes Baroque theatre: power arrives with attendants; wisdom stays seated in the dirt and asks only that the shadow move. Quick facts Artist: Giovan Battista Langetti (1625-1676) Date: c. 1650 Medium: Oil on canvas Collection: Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia, Venice Notable fact: Diogenes asks Alexander to stand out of his sunlight; the king answers he would wish to be Diogenes if he were not Alexander Giovan Battista Langetti, Diogenes and Alexander , c. 1650. Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia, Venice. Conqueror Meets Cynic Ancient writers place Alexander at Corinth, flush with victory, offering Diogenes any favour he might name. The Cynic, living with almost nothing, answers that the king is blocking the sun. Langetti belongs to a long v...