Shallow bowl depicting the Suicide of Dido 1522

This 1522 shallow bowl by Maestro Giorgio Andreoli depicts the tragic scene of the suicide of Dido, the Queen of Carthage, from Virgil's Aeneid. Dido, clad in a golden robe, stands amidst a verdant landscape as she plunges a dagger into her heart. The vibrant colors and detailed imagery are characteristic of Italian Renaissance maiolica, which is known for its decorative use of tin-glazed earthenware. This bowl, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlights the artistic integration of classical literature and iconography with the everyday objects of the Renaissance era.