Single page - Alexander Diving (Facsimile)

A facsimile of one of the most fascinating scenes in medieval literature - Alexander the Great descending to the bottom of the sea in a glaskolba, accompanied by two tow fish and a mysterious companion. The illustration comes from the 13th-century French manuscript Le Roman d'Alexandre, fol. 67r, and is preserved in the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin (Ms. 78 C 1).

This sheet depicts King Alexander as not only a military conqueror but also an inquisitive explorer - a symbol of the human desire for knowledge and for crossing the boundaries of the known world.

Specification:

• Title: Alexander Diving (Alexander's Descent into the Sea)
• Manuscript: Le bon roi Alexandre, fol. 67r
• Place of origin: northern France, 13th century
• Storage of original: Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin (Ms. 78 C 1)
• Dimensions: 26 × 19 cm
• Weight: 0.5 kg
• Publisher: Verlag Müller und Schindler