Mercury, from Mercury Exhorting Aeneas to Leave Carthage 1757

This painting, “Mercury,” from a series on the story of Aeneas, is a work of the Venetian Rococo artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Created in 1757, the work depicts the Roman god Mercury, with wings and caduceus, in the act of urging Aeneas to leave Carthage and fulfill his destiny as founder of Rome. The composition, with its light and airy figures, creates a sense of dynamic energy and movement, characteristic of Tiepolo's style. The dramatic use of light and shadow, along with the swirling clouds, contributes to the ethereal and almost dreamlike quality of the scene.