# Death of Dido [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [BOURDON, Sébastien]() - Date: 1601-1650 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 159 x 137 cm ## Commentary The story depicted in the painting is from Virgil's Aeneid \(4:362-392\). The lovers, Dido and Aeneas, passed a whole winter in each other's company, until Aeneas was suddenly visited by Mercury, the messenger of the gods, with sharp orders from Jupiter to be on his way. He took his leave amid scenes of passionate pleading, vituperation and tears. When Aeneas had departed Dido built a funeral pyre in the palace and slew herself on it, using her lovers sword. Henry Purcell \(c. 1659-1695\), the English composer and organist, composed an opera from the story of Dido and Aeneas. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 9 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/17\_cent/purcell\_dido.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Dido's Farewell</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [A Scene from Roman History]() - [Adoration of the Magi]() - [Bacchus and Ceres with Nymphs and Satyrs]() - [Countess Ebba Sparre]() - [Deposition from the Cross \(detail\)]() - [Deposition from the Cross]() - [King Solomon Sacrificing to the Idols]() - [Moses and the Brazen Serpent]() - [Portrait of a Man]() - [Presentation in the Temple]() - [Presumed Portrait of René Descartes]() - [Queen Christina of Sweden on Horseback]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()