Virgil Reading the "Aeneid" to Augustus, Octavia, and Livia
1790–93
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
111.1 × 142.6 cm (43 3/4 × 56 1/8 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
17161
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In the late 18th century, the French Academy promoted a severely Classical approach to history painting as a means to regenerate art—and in contrast to the perceived decadence of the Rococo style. Jacques-Louis David and his students were leading exponents of this Neoclassical approach, treating antique subjects as moral exemplars for contemporary audiences. Here, David’s student Jean-Baptiste Wicar depicted the response of the Roman emperor Augustus and his family to Virgil’s reading of his epi...
About the Artist
Jean Baptiste Joseph Wicar (French) · 1762 –1834
French, Lille 1762–1834 Rome