A FLEMISH MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY,

SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY,

Details

A FLEMISH MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY,
Second Half 17th Century,
Depicting Dido on the Pyre, probably from a series depicting the Story of Dido and Aneas, the central scene depicting a maiden seated on a flaming pyre with a sword to the chest and surrounded by military trophies, the right background with a Dido's sister in a doorway, within a floral column border with military trophies, the blue guard border to the right, but lacking guard borders or with later brown guard borders to the other sides, the lower border rewoven, some patches, and with sections heightened in color, with restored vertical cut to the upper left corner
123in. (312cm.) high, 121in. (307cm.) wide

Lot Essay

This tapestry depicts Dido, the legendary Queen and founder of Carthage, on the funerary pyre. According to Virgil, Venus caused Dido to be taken by an unstoppable passion for the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was destined by Jupiter to depart again. Having failed to convince Aeneas to stay, Dido asked her sister to help her build a pyre under the pretence to burn all of Aeneas' belongings, including his arms and their bridal bed, which he left behind. When she saw the Trojan ships finally leave, she threw herself on the pyre and ran Aeneas' sword through her body.

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