Der Tod der Dido
um 1786
Medium
Öl auf Holz
Dimensions
70,5 x 54 cm
Classification
Gemälde
Department
Belvedere Collection
Museum
Belvedere
Credit
Belvedere, Vienna
Accession Number
3251
Art Historical Context
Franz Anton Maulbertsch's *Der Tod der Dido (c. 1786) captures the tragic suicide of Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage from Virgil *Aeneid*. In this intimate oil on wood panel (70.5 x 54 cm), Maulbertsch depicts the heartbroken ruler in her final moments, abandoned by the Trojan hero Aeneas. The compact wooden support, common for portable devotional or cabinet paintings in the 18th century, allowed for rich layering of oils that enhance the work's luminous depth and emotional intensity. A leading Austrian painter of the late Baroque and Rococo periods, Maulbertsch was renowned for his dyn...
About the Artist
Franz Anton Maulbertsch · 1724–1796
Comment on works: Allegory; Portraits; Religious