Circle of Hendrik van Cleve III

The subject is taken from Virgil’s Aeniad (1:125-143) and relates to the closing chapter of the Trojan War. In the foreground Aeneas is seen carrying his father Anchises and fleeing the burning city of Troy. The inscription “SPQT” is a pun on the Roman “SPQR” (Senatus Populus Quirities Romanus), and is a reference to Aeneas and his companions being the legendary ancestors of the Romans.

A version of this composition by Hendrick van Cleve was sold Paris, Tajan, 10 December 1999, lot 39 for 100,000 francs.