Didone oder Elissa der Künigin zü Carthago · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Didone oder Elissa der Künigin zü Carthago
Period: 1500-1550;
Geographic: Carthage; North Africa
Description: This engraving depicts Elissa, who was later called Dido, standing at the foreground of the engraving on the right-side watching people build the city of Carthage. She is illustrated with her hands pointing at the city and men as she oversees 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. There is a man constructing a brick wall in the background, and a man carrying a bucket on the left side of the engraving. There is also a man shoveling the ground in front of Elissa.
Image Creator: Joerg Breu (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18337
Language: ger
Source Name: Ein schöne Cronica oder Hystoribuch von den fürnämlichsten Weybern [A beautiful chronicle or history book of reputable women]
Parent Collection: 1543 Stayner; 1543 Stayner
Image: mta_18337_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Elissa; Important Queens; Dido; Vengeance; Important Women; Famous Women