Trojan War hero Aeneas escapes from burning Troy carrying his elderly father Anchises on his back, in late-1500s Renaissance sgraffito art on the facade of Stadtplatz 33, one of two remarkable ‘sgraffito houses’ in the town square at Gmünd, Lower Austria, Austria. The scene from Greco-Roman mythology, derived from a woodcut by Virgilius Solis (1514-62), depicts an episode narrated by the Roman poet Ovid in Book 13 of his epic narrative poem, The Metamorphoses.
Image details
Contributor:
Terence Kerr / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2GGD6H3File size:
34.9 MB (2.2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
4288 x 2848 px | 36.3 x 24.1 cm | 14.3 x 9.5 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
3 September 2008Location:
Gmünd, Lower Austria, AustriaMore information:
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Gmünd, Lower Austria, Austria: Trojan War hero Aeneas escapes from burning Troy carrying his elderly father Anchises on his back, in Renaissance sgraffito art on the late 16th century front of Stadtplatz 33, one of two remarkable ‘sgraffito houses’ in the town square. The scene is derived from a woodcut by German draughtsman and printmaker Virgilius Solis, depicting a scene from Book 13 of the narrative poem The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid. In ancient Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas is the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite (Greek) or Venus (Roman). In Virgil’s Aeneid, he is cast as an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, the mythical twins believed to have founded Rome. According to Virgil, Aeneas was one of the few Trojans not killed or enslaved when Troy fell to the Greeks. Ordered by the gods to flee, he gathered a group known as the Aeneads, which included both his father Anchises and his son Ascanius. Their years of wandering took them to Sicily and Carthage before they finally settled in mainland Italy. The Metamorphoses is seen as Ovid’s greatest work. Over 15 books and 11, 995 lines, Ovid chronicled the history of the world within a loose framework blending real events with hundreds of myths and legends. The poem has inspired sculptors, painters and musicians, as well as writers such as Dante, Chaucer and Shakespeare. Virgilius or Virgil Solis (1514-62) was born and died in Nuremberg, Germany. He produced prints from engravings to sell, as well as woodcuts to illustrate books. His woodcuts from Ovid were published in many different editions. Sgraffito is the ancient artistic technique of scratching or cutting away parts of a surface layer of plaster, stucco or paint to expose a different colour or texture underneath. D0785.A9389