Skip to main content

Liberale da Verona, 'Dido's Suicide', early 16th century

Key facts
Full title Dido's Suicide
Artist Liberale da Verona
Artist dates about 1445 - 1527/9
Date made early 16th century
Medium and support oil on wood
Dimensions 42.5 × 123.2 cm
Acquisition credit Bought, 1891
Inventory number NG1336
Location Not on display
Collection Main Collection
Dido's Suicide
Liberale da Verona
/

Abandoned by her lover, the Trojan hero Aeneas, the devastated Dido, Queen of Carthage, stands on a pyre composed of his armour and his gifts to her. She is about to plunge a knife into her breast, watched from the arcades and balconies around the square by her subjects.

This panel’s dimensions suggest that it came from a spalliere, a painting set into the panelling of a room, rather than a cassone (a large chest) as has long been thought. Both often showed tales from classical poetry or history, many illustrating the consequences of good and bad behaviour for husbands and wives. Dido was seen as a warning against uncontrolled female sexuality: in Dante’s Inferno, she was condemned to hell for her consuming passion for Aeneas.

Download image
Download low-resolution image

Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.

License this image

License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.

License image
Download low-resolution image

This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

Examples of non-commercial use are:

  • Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
  • Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media

The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.

As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.

Download low-resolution image

You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.

Creative Commons Logo