Description
In book two of Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid (29-19 BC), the Trojan hero Aeneas escapes from the burning city of Troy and its Greek invaders with his family. Here the artist shows them making their way through a classical corridor. Aeneas carries his elderly father, Anchises, entrusted with holding their household gods. Aeneas holds the hand of his son, Ascanius, and his wife Creusa follows behind. Creusa's separation from the group alludes to her fate: she will fall behind and not survive their flight. Quick sketches on the right border of the sheet show Barocci practicing the balancing pose of Aeneas as he carries his father, and the stance of Creusa. The drawing relates to a now lost painting by Barocci and was also made into an engraving by Agostino Carracci (see CMA 1963.456). Details in the drawing such as the dog bounding down the stairs and Creusa's flowing hair and head scarf do not appear in the engraving.
Provenance
Possibly Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Antwerp, (according to Jaffé 1963).; Pierre Crozat (1665-1740), Paris. (?-1740); his sale, 10 April-13 May 1741, lot 248. (1741); Jean Baptiste François Nourri (1697-1784), Paris (?-1784); his sale, 24 February-14 March 1785, lot 119. (1785); Charles Paul Jean Baptiste de Bourgevin Vialart de Moligny, comte de Saint-Morys (1743-1795), Paris; Guichardot, Paris (?-1875); his sale, Paris, 7-10 July 1875, no. 18 (1875); with Erardo Aeschlimann, Milan. (1960); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1960-)
Accession Number
1960.26
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash and yellow gouache heightened with traces of white, over black chalk, with stylus (banister); framing lines in pen and brown ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 27.7 x 42.6 cm (10 7/8 x 16 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Credit Line
L. E. Holden Fund
Tags
Drawing Renaissance (1400–1599) Ink Gouache Italian
Background & Context
Background Story
Federico Barocci (c. 1535-1612) was one of the most influential Italian painters of the late 16th century, known for his innovative use of color and his dynamic compositional inventions. Aeneas Saving Anchises at the Fall of Troy from 1587-88 is a preparatory drawing for a painting of the same subject, showing Barocci working through the compositional problems of depicting Aeneas carrying his elderly father on his back while Troy burns behind them. The drawing combines pen and brown ink for the definitive lines, brown wash and yellow gouache for the tonal values and color notes, and white gouache highlights for the brightest accents—all over a black chalk underdrawing, with stylus indentations for transfer to the final painting.
Cultural Impact
Barocci's preparatory drawings are among the most elaborate in 16th-century Italian art, and this drawing for Aeneas Saving Anchises demonstrates his complex working method: black chalk for the initial composition, pen and ink for the definitive lines, wash and gouache for tonal values, and stylus indentations for transfer. The combination of media indicates a serious preparatory study for a major commission, and the multiple revisions visible in the drawing show Barocci working through the compositional problems of a complex multi-figure narrative.
Why It Matters
Aeneas Saving Anchises is Barocci's working method in full display: black chalk underdrawing, pen and ink definition, wash and gouache for tone, and stylus indentations for transfer. The drawing shows that Barocci's apparently effortless compositions were the result of meticulous preparation—every figure, every gesture, and every tonal value worked out before the painting was begun.
