Claude Lorrain - Aeneas und Dido in Karthago - 1675/76
The French artist Lorrain, who lived in Rome, is one of the most important landscape painters of the Baroque period. His paintings are often based on literary or biblical themes, but Lorrain's primary focus was on the depiction of landscape, architecture, and light effects. This painting is no exception, as two inscriptions reference a description in Virgil's Aeneid: After fleeing Troy, the prince Aeneas arrived in Carthage, where he was welcomed by Queen Dido. The two fell in love, but Jupiter sent Mercury to remind Aeneas of his divine mission to found a city in Italy. The Trojan therefore left the despairing Dido, who threw herself on her sword after her lover's departure. However, this dramatic love story is not evident in Lorrain's painting. Instead, the figures are subordinated to the overwhelming landscape and architecture, which form a well-considered and clearly structured composition in Lorrain's visual design.
Source: Hamburger Kunsthalle
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