Dido's Sacrifice to Juno

Jean Bernard Restout French
 Formerly attributed to Joseph Marie Vien French
 Formerly attributed to Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre French

Not on view

Despite being born into a dynasty of successful painters, Restout had a troubled relationship with the institutions that controlled the arts under the Bourbon monarchy. It was out of deference to his family’s standing, perhaps, that he was awarded a commission in 1772 for a series of tapestry designs based on Virgil’s Aeneid. In this sketch for one of the panels, Restout’s anticipation of the Neoclassical style is evident in the antique motifs and austere palette. After the Revolution, he would align himself with Jacques Louis David’s efforts to dismantle the structures of privilege and hierarchy that governed the Académie.

Dido's Sacrifice to Juno, Jean Bernard Restout (French, Paris 1732–1797 Paris), Oil paint, over pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, on paper, mounted on canvas

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Dido's Sacrifice to Juno, Jean Bernard Restout (French, Paris 1732–1797 Paris), Oil paint, over pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, on paper, mounted on canvas
Dido's Sacrifice to Juno, Jean Bernard Restout (French, Paris 1732–1797 Paris), Oil paint, over pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, on paper, mounted on canvas
Dido's Sacrifice to Juno, Jean Bernard Restout (French, Paris 1732–1797 Paris), Oil paint, over pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, on paper, mounted on canvas

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