Karikatuur van Aeneas en Dido in de hel 1842

This caricature of Aeneas and Dido in the Underworld was drawn by Honoré Daumier. Daumier was a master of satire in 19th-century France. Here, he turns his attention to the epic story of Aeneas and Dido, characters from Virgil’s Aeneid. But the image of the tragic lovers is far from heroic: Aeneas is scrawny and awkward, while Dido, who killed herself after he abandoned her, is shown with a sword piercing her chest. The target of Daumier's satire goes beyond the figures of Aeneas and Dido. The print appears in a journal, as part of a series called ‘Ancient History.’ In 19th century France, the teaching of classics was a conservative affair, a matter of rote learning and imitation, which is what made it ripe for mockery. By studying caricatures like this, alongside more conventional history, we can understand how art reflects social attitudes.