Aeneas and Queen Dido, Pseudo-Caroselli (Rome, active ca. 1630/1650) Attributed to

Aeneas and Queen Dido
(Virgil, Book IV of the Aeneid)

Attributed to Pseudo-Caroselli (Rome, active ca 1630/1650)

Oil painting on canvas

148 × 93 cm. – framed 162 × 107 cm.

Full details (go to link)

The episode depicted in the superb canvas proposed illustrates the beautiful Dido, queen of Carthage, in the moment of supplication towards her beloved Aeneas, now determined to abandon her.

According to the Virgilian narration of the fourth book of the Aeneid, Dido fell madly in love with the Trojan hero Aeneas, son of Anchises and Venus, when he landed in Carthage due to a storm caused by Juno before arriving in Lazio. Everything seems to be moving towards the most classic of happy endings except that Jupiter arrives implacably, and through Mercury, calls Aeneas back to duty, forcing him to leave again to reach Lazio, where he will give rise to the lineage that will found the city of Rome.

Thanks to a staging of great theatrical effect, with a clear baroque imprint, we are faced with an engaging painting, which illustrates a crucial moment of this passionate love story, which after having reached the heights of overwhelming passion, follows the drama of a woman in love.

Dido, famous for her beauty and sensuality, is immortalized here in the moment of supplication to her beloved, desperate for the imminent departure, although already aware of the fate that awaits her; she is busy playing a lute making a last vain attempt to hold him back. Aeneas seems to listen to the melody sung in her honor, with a wavering expression, despite Mercury playing a transverse flute, as if she wanted to distract him from the queen's music.

However, his sadness is contrasted by the diligence of the Trojans, who we see feasting in the background, happy to resume their journey, because they evidently disapproved of the love between the two and the consequent prolongation of the stop.

The author therefore takes the pretext of the epic tale to depict a theme dear to 600th century painting and extremely appreciated by collectors of this period, that dedicated to the universe of music;

The canvas object of the study in question, from which the strong suggestions of Caravaggism are immediately evident, can be attributed to the so-called "Pseudo-Caroselli", a mysterious 'genre painter', perhaps of Nordic origin but whose identity is not known , close to the ways of the master Angelo Caroselli (Rome 1585-1652), with whom he was often confused.

This is certainly an artist who frequented the Roman master's workshop, in all likelihood one of his students. The hypothesis that Pseudo-Caroselli is a Northern European artist, perhaps belonging to the populous colony of Flemish painters who resided permanently in Rome in the seventeenth century, is quite credible, but it cannot be excluded (according to some authors) that he could be the son of Angelo, Carlo Caroselli.

The painting clearly stands as a cornerstone in the work of this mysterious author, both in qualitative terms and for the presence of full-figure characters, giving proof here of his histrionic and theatrical ability and his refined technique. Often the characters who appear in these paintings have grotesque poses and caricatural features and generally there is a marked sensual allusion.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is completed with a wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you.

Follow us also on:

https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/