Von Didone · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Didone
Subject: Important Queens; Famous Women; Dido; Elissa; Vengeance; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: North Africa; Carthage
Description: This engraving depicts Elissa, who was later called Dido, standing at the foreground of the engraving watching people build the city of Carthage. She is illustrated with her hands pointing at the city and men as she over sees the construction. Boccaccio explains that Dido had stolen her brother’s treasure in retaliation of him murdering her husband. After fleeing with her brother’s treasure, she made her way to Africa where she established Carthage and became queen of the city. Dido’s name is engraved beside her body to identify her. The name “Carthage”, written as “Cartago” is engraved at the top left corner of the image.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:17998
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg; 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_17998_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Queens; Famous Women; Dido; Elissa; Vengeance; Important Women