Pseudo-Caroselli (Roma, attivo c.a 1630/1650) att.

Aeneas and Queen Dido (Virgil, Book IV of the Aeneid) Attributed to Pseudo-Caroselli (Rome, active c. 1630/1650) Oil on canvas 148 × 93 cm. - framed 162 × 107 cm. Full details (go to link) The episode depicted in the superb canvas offered illustrates the beautiful Dido, queen of Carthage, in the moment of supplication to her beloved Aeneas, now determined to abandon her. According to the Virgilian narration of the IV book of the Aeneid, Dido fell madly in love with the Trojan hero Aeneas, son of Anchises and Venus, when he landed in Carthage due to a storm caused by Juno before arriving in Lazio. Everything seems to turn to the most classic of happy endings, except that Jupiter arrives implacable, and through Mercury, calls Aeneas to duty, imposing him to leave for Lazio, where he will give rise to the lineage that will found the city of Rome. Thanks to a staging of great theatrical effect, of clear Baroque influence, we are in front of an engaging painting, in which a crucial moment of this passionate love story is illustrated, which after touching the peaks of overwhelming passion, sees the drama of a woman in love follow. Dido, famous for her beauty and sensuality, is here immortalized in the moment of supplication to her beloved, desperate for the imminent departure, although already aware of the destiny that awaits her; she is intent on playing a lute attempting a last vain attempt to hold him back. Aeneas seems to listen to the melody sung in his honor, with a wavering expression, although Mercury plays a transverse flute, as if to distract him from the queen's music. Her sadness is contrasted, however, by the zeal of the Trojans, whom we see feasting in the background, happy to resume the journey, because they evidently disapproved of the love between the two and the consequent continuation of the stop. The author therefore seizes the pretext of the epic tale to depict a theme dear to the painting of the 17th century and extremely appreciated by collectors of this period, that dedicated to the universe of music; The canvas object of the study under examination, from which the strong suggestions to Caravaggism are immediately evident, is attributable to the so-called "Pseudo-Caroselli", a mysterious ‘genre painter’, perhaps of Nordic origin but whose identity is unknown, close to the ways of the master Angelo Caroselli (Rome 1585-1652), with whom he has often been confused. It is certainly an artist who had frequented the workshop of the Roman master, most likely one of his pupils. Rather accredited is the hypothesis that the Pseudo-Caroselli is a northern European artist, perhaps belonging to the populous colony of Flemish painters who in the seventeenth century stayed permanently in Rome, but it is not to be excluded (according to some authors) that it may be the son of Angelo, Carlo Caroselli. The painting clearly stands as a cornerstone in the work of this mysterious author, both in qualitative terms and for the presence of full-length figures, giving proof here of his histrionic and theatrical ability and his refined technique. Often the characters that appear in these paintings have grotesque poses and caricatural features and in general there is a marked sensual allusion. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The painting is completed by a wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet. We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Follow us also on : https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/