{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O78681"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78681/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8263/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8263/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM8263","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FM5654","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU0937","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78681/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78681","accessionNumber":"P.2-1947","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Aeneas before Dido, and Venus Supplicating Jupiter","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>By 1700 wall paintings were replacing tapestry as a cheaper yet more fashionable decoration for grand halls, staircases and ceilings. Noble or rich families commissioned artists, often from France, Holland and Italy, to decorate their homes with mythological, patriotic or allegorical scenes. These became a sure indicator of wealth and status, as well as demonstrating the owner's learning, allegiance and sophisticated taste. Sketches such as this would have been offered for approval to the client before work began.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Sir James Thornhill painted numerous decorations for private patrons as well as public commissions. Between 1715 and 1725 he undertook for James Brydges, Ist Duke of Chandos, some of the decorations at Cannons, his magnificent home near Edgware in Middlesex. The palace was pulled down and the murals destroyed around 1750 after the fraudulent speculations of the South Sea Bubble bankrupted the Duke.<br><br><b>Subjects Depicted</b><br>This design, depicting Aeneas before Dido with the gods of Olympus, was probably intended for the staircase at Cannons. The subject is taken from Virgil's poem  the <i>Aeneid</i>,  written in the 1st century BC. It celebrated the legendary foundation of the Roman state by the descendants of Aeneas who had escaped from the destruction of Troy.","physicalDescription":"Oil painting design for staircase at Canons (probably) depicting Aeneas before Dido.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Thornhill, James (Sir)","id":"A8916"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"oil on canvas","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Myths & Legends","id":"THES49005"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AM8263","2012FM5654","2017JU0937"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"54B (VA)","id":"THES49248"},"free":"","case":"WN","shelf":"","box":"60"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1720","earliest":"1715-01-01","latest":"1724-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"81.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"unframed","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"45.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"1.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: measured; 11/01/1999 by sp/nh/dw","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased, 1947\r\nSir James Thornhill  (born in 1675, possibly in Woolland, Dorset, died in Stalbridge, Dorset, 1734)\nProbably painted in London","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Oil painting, 'Design for staircase at Canons (probably) - Aeneas Before Dido', by Sir James Thornhill.  Great Britain, ca. 1720.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1947</u>, London: HMSO, 1950."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Dido","id":"N189"},{"text":"Aeneas","id":"N18"},{"text":"Venus","id":"N25"},{"text":"Jupiter","id":"N99"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"gods","id":"x47494"},{"text":"nudes","id":"AAT189568"},{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"},{"text":"","id":""}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nSir James Thornhill painted numerous decorations for private patrons as well as public commissions. This design, featuring a scene from classical literature, of Aeneas before Dido with the gods of Olympus, was probably intended for the staircase at Canons, the magnificent home of the Duke of Chandos, near London. Sketches such as this one would have been offered for approval to the client before work began.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["P.2-1947"],"accessionNumberNum":"2","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1947,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR5330","2019LR4980","2019LU7554"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-19","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}