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The Death of Dido

Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (Italian, 1610–1662) and Michael Wauters (Flemish, 1679)1679

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Driven by despair, and to her sister's dismay, Dido throws herself onto a pyre of Aeneas's bed and clothes and pierces herself with his sword. Moved by pity, Jupiter's wife, Juno, sends Iris from heaven to cut a lock of Dido's hair and sacrifice it to the underworld so that Dido may die. Aeneas's fleet sails away in the distance.

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  • Title: The Death of Dido
  • Creator: Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (Italian, 1610–1662), Michael Wauters (Flemish, 1679)
  • Date Created: 1679
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 414 x 466.5 cm (163 x 183 11/16 in.)
  • Provenance: Barberini Family, Rome, Italy, Charles M. Ffoulke (1849-1909), Washington, D.C., Mitchell Samuels of French & Company (1880-1959), New York, NY, sold to Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss, Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss (1865-1944), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Tapestry
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1915.79.8
  • Medium: tapestry weave: silk and wool
  • Inscriptions: signed lower right: M. Wavters.
  • Fun Fact: Depicting the tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas, this tapestry is one of eight gifted to the museum for display in the armor court.
  • Department: Textiles
  • Culture: Belgium, 17th century
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss, in memory of Dr. Dudley P. Allen
  • Collection: Textiles
  • Accession Number: 1915.79.8
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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