The Story of Dido and Aeneas c. 1668

Curator: This etching, “The Story of Dido and Aeneas” by Gérard de Lairesse, captures a pivotal moment from Virgil’s epic. It is quite small, only about 6 by 10 centimeters. Editor: It feels incredibly dramatic, despite its size. The stark contrast and the confined space really heighten the tension between the figures. Curator: The setting, a cave, frames the lovers as Dido pleads with Aeneas, who is destined to found Rome, not stay with her in Carthage. The cupids in the lower-left, blind to the consequences, add a tragic irony. Editor: Absolutely. It's a narrative steeped in power dynamics, right? Aeneas's destiny versus Dido's agency, which history, predictably, silences. We see a woman begging to change a fate already written for her by men. Curator: De Lairesse was celebrated for his classical subjects, fitting within a larger societal narrative that championed certain histories over others. Editor: I see this tiny image as a microcosm of the monumental cost of empire, told through the body of a woman. Curator: A powerful interpretation; the artwork certainly invites reflections on the price of progress. Editor: Yes, and reminds us that even classical tales are battlegrounds for contemporary concerns.