Dosso Dossi’s Aeneas and Achates on the Libyan Coast, painted around 1520, is an oil-on-canvas work belonging to the Italian High Renaissance and the distinctive Ferrarese tradition.. This artwork features a wide landscape view where the story is told in the whole horizontal composition. In the forefront, two richly attired men can be seen next to the sea shore, while a big wooden boat appears on the left-hand side. Some other people work by the boat, and this means that the Trojans are fixing their boats after the storm. Beyond the waters, there is a faintly coloured fortress city set amidst distant mountains – namely Carthage.
The artist attaches great significance to the landscape and colours rather than highlighting the human characters only in his narrative story. There is a strong contrast between the dense green mass of trees on the left and the bright blue sky and sea waters while the bright red, yellow and orange colours of the attire of the characters in the foreground are meant to highlight the main characters.
The painting highlights the Venetian influence on Dossi’s work especially in the way he uses colors. His foliage has a soft, almost feathery appearance, while the water and distant architecture are built through delicate transitions of blue, grey and white. Rather than presenting the episode with strict clarity, Dossi creates a poetic and somewhat dreamlike environment. This approach reflects the imaginative character of early sixteenth-century Renaissance court painting, in which classical literature, landscape and visual invention were closely combined.
This artwork by the renowned artist Dossi dates to the 16th century renaissance period. This painting is from a series of ten artworks which were commissioned by Alfonso d'Este for the Alabaster Chamber.
Portrayed here are the adventures of the Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan war and his friend Achates who were shipwrecked off the coast of Libya and cast up at Carthage. Vibrant hues of green and blue beautify the natural landscape and while also emphasising it along with the human figures. Dossi’s artistic talent is reflected in the naturalistic yet dream-like rendering of the episode.
