The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Dido and Aeneas seek shelter from a storm

Dido and Aeneas seek shelter from a storm

1679
(Italian, 1610–1662)
(Flemish, 1679)
Belgium, 17th century
tapestry weave: silk and wool
Overall: 416.4 x 418.8 cm (163 15/16 x 164 7/8 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss, in memory of Dr. Dudley P. Allen 1915.79.5
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

This tapestry is one from a series of eight that depicts the tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas. They were gifted to the museum for display in the armor court.

Description

During a hunting party, Dido and Aeneas are caught in a storm and flee to shelter. Cupid and Hymen, the god of marriage, bless them from above. Servants are working to attend to the frightened horses while on a branch, the owl of evil beats his wings ominously.
  • before 1695-1899
    Barberini Family, Rome, Italy
    1899-1915
    Charles M. Ffoulke (1849-1909), Washington, D.C.
    1909-before 1915
    Mitchell Samuels of French & Company (1880-1959), New York, NY, sold to Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss
    before 1915-1915
    Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss (1865-1944), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1915
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • W. M. M. "Gothic Art." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 6, no. 4 (1919): 67-70. Mentioned: p. 70 www.jstor.org
    BREMER-DAVID, CHARISSA. "French & Company and American Collections of Tapestries, 1907-1959." Studies in the Decorative Arts 11, no. 1 (2003): 38-68. 40663064
  • Tapestry Restoration 2. Gaspard De Wit/Koninklijke Manufactuur van Wandtapijten n.v (January 21, 1999-September 7, 2000).
  • {{cite web|title=Dido and Aeneas seek shelter from a storm|url=false|author=Giovanni Francesco Romanelli, Michael Wauters|year=1679|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.79.5