Aeneas en de Sibille van Cumae

About this artwork

opschrift, recto, handschrift in bruine inkt: ‘G. Laires’

Art Historical Context

This etching by Gerard de Lairesse captures a dramatic moment from Virgil’s *Aeneid*, in which the Trojan hero Aeneas seeks guidance from the Cumaean Sibyl before his descent into the underworld. Created in 1670, the print reflects the Dutch artist’s deep engagement with classical mythology, a subject that resonated strongly in the cultured circles of the Dutch Republic during the late Golden Age. De Lairesse, often called the “Dutch Raphael,” championed a refined classicist style that blended French academic principles with Italianate grandeur. Working primarily in paint, he also produced et...

About the Artist

Gerard de Lairesse · 1641–1711

Gerard de Lairesse (1641–1711) was a leading figure of the Dutch Golden Age, renowned as both a painter and art theorist whose classical ideals bridged the dramatic realism of Rembrandt with the refined elegance of French academism. Born on September 11, 1641, in Liège, he was the second son of the painter Renier de Lairesse (1597–1667). De Lairesse received his initial training under his father b...