Modern Images

Figure 3. Philibert, Pierre. The Death of Dido. 1711, Louvre.

A statue by Pierre Philbert, also called “The Death of Dido,” brings back more of the familiar tropes from the classic and medieval interpretations. Dido is clearly identified as a queen with a crown on her head. The sword that is plunged into her stomach is also visible, and blood is beginning to pour out. Dido rests on a pillow, on a pyre where the wood can be seen to be ignited. The pillow could either represent her status as royalty or be for the ease of the artist. Dido’s disheveled clothing, that leaves her half naked, contributes to the idea that she was mad with desire and her suicide was an act of desperation. Her gaze upwards adds to the feeling that she in on top of the pyre, elevated above the onlookers. The form of the statue provides a simulation of the spectacle that would have been Dido’s suicide. The statue emphasizes how public Dido’s suicide was.

This statue is classically French, and a representative of a popular art style. Although the statue is "French" art, it shows that the Aeneid was still present in people’s imaginations. This statue seems to be more aligned with the description of the text, but this Dido looks different from the classical and the medieval interpretation of Dido. This Dido looks more European than the more African looking Dido from the classical period. This Dido also has more defined features and is more attractive than the medieval manuscript depiction. Beauty and regality are linked in this interpretation. This is also the only interpretation where Dido’s suicide is in progress. The statue depicts the heat of the moment and shows the passion that is present in the text but missing in the other visuals.