Aeneas Meeting Dido at Carthage, Paul Cézanne, between 1873 and 1876

Paul cézanne, french, 1839–1906 aeneas meeting dido at carthage, 1873–76 graphite on cream laid paper 22. 9 x 30. 5 cm. (9 x 12 in. ) the henry and rose pearlman foundation, on long-term loan to the princeton university art museum l. 1988. 62. 52 chappuis 1973: no. 324 provenance: artist’s son, paul cézanne (1872–1947), paris; given as gift, probably to m. Bret, paris, ca. 1915. Unknown physician, from 1922. [galerie baugin, paris, by 1951]; sold to henry pearlman, ca. 1953; henry and rose pearlman foundation, 1983. Gallery label: more classically composed than the adjoining watercolor, this drawing represents the same episode from book ii of virgil’s aeneid, in which the trojan hero aeneas, shipwrecked off the coast of carthage, meets its queen, dido. As aeneas recounts his misfortunes to dido, he describes searching for his wife, creusa, who died in the destruction of troy, and encountering her ghost. In both works, cézanne included creusa as the mysterious shrouded figure standing next to the helmeted aeneas. The artist explored the conjoined themes of love and death in many early works, and the episode might also have had personal ramifications for him, as he found women both elusive and intimidating. Date: between 1873 and 1876. Collection: Princeton University Art Museum. Cézanne, Paul, Aeneas Meeting Dido at Carthage, 1873-76