Dido Receiveng Aeneas and Cupid Disguised as Ascanius 1720

Francesco Solimena painted "Dido Receiving Aeneas and Cupid Disguised as Ascanius" in the late 17th or early 18th century. The painting portrays a scene from Virgil’s Aeneid, setting the stage for an exploration of power, desire, and deception. Solimena, working in a period marked by strict social hierarchies, invites us to consider Dido's role as a powerful queen, yet also as a woman vulnerable to emotional manipulation. Cupid, disguised as Ascanius, embodies the insidious nature of desire and the ways it can be used to disarm and control. It is important to note the role of women in classical mythology, often depicted as figures of both great strength and tragic susceptibility. The exchange between Dido and Aeneas can be viewed as a negotiation of power, complicated by the dynamics of gender and the looming threat of war. The painting compels us to think about how personal relationships are often entangled with broader political and historical forces.