The artwork titled “Aeneas and Dido in Carthage,” created by Claude Lorrain in 1675, is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 149.2 by 120 centimeters. This painting, belonging to the Classicism art movement, is currently housed in the Kunsthalle Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany. It is categorized as a mythological painting.
The artwork exemplifies the grandeur of classicist composition and themes, depicting a scene from Virgil’s epic, “The Aeneid.” Aeneas, a Trojan hero, and Dido, the queen of Carthage, dominate the scene, set against a detailed architectural and naturalistic backdrop. The foreground features Dido welcoming Aeneas, surrounded by attendants and guards, while classical structures and bustling seafaring activity frame the narrative, emphasizing the significance of their encounter. The painting’s intricate details and balanced composition showcase Lorrain’s mastery in rendering both human figures and landscape, anchoring the mythological scene in a visually compelling historical context.
