The Death of Dido
Medium
tapestry weave: silk and wool
Dimensions
414 × 466.5 cm
Classification
Tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss, in memory of Dr. Dudley P. Allen
Accession Number
1915.79.8
Tags
male
About this artwork
Driven by despair, and to her sister's dismay, Dido throws herself onto a pyre of Aeneas's bed and clothes and pierces herself with his sword. Moved by pity, Jupiter's wife, Juno, sends Iris from heaven to cut a lock of Dido's hair and sacrifice it to the underworld so that Dido may die. Aeneas's fleet sails away in the distance.