The Deification of Aeneas by Nymphs and Cupids
c. 1645
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 31.6 × 41.2 cm (12 1/2 × 16 1/4 in.); Sheet, trimmed within platemark: 31.8 × 41.6 cm (12 9/16 × 16 7/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
223268
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The hero of Virgil’s epic the Aeneid, Aeneas is associated with the foundation of Roman culture following the fall of Troy and an arduous journey to his destined homeland in Italy. In this print, Aeneas is prepared for deification; his armor has been removed, and nymphs and cupids perform a ritual cleansing of his body. Van den Dyck, an artist who emerged from the orbit of Peter Paul Rubens, realized this print during one of his many years in Italy. After settling first in Venice, the artist eve...