The Winter – Juno beseeches to destroy Eneas’ Fleet 1856 - 1863

"The Winter – Juno beseeches to destroy Eneas’ Fleet" is an 1856-1863 oil painting by Eugène Delacroix depicting the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter, imploring the gods to destroy the fleet of Aeneas, the Trojan hero, who fled Troy after its fall and sought to found Rome. The painting illustrates a pivotal moment from Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid. Delacroix's dramatic, highly emotional style, with its use of swirling lines and vibrant colors, is characteristic of Romanticism. Juno's powerful stance and dramatic expression convey her anguish and determination, while the stormy seas and the terrified figures below emphasize the chaos and danger of the situation. The painting evokes a sense of tragedy and grandeur, reflecting the epic nature of its subject matter.