Artwork
The Winter - Juno beseeches to destroy Eneas' Fleet
The Winter - Juno beseeches to destroy Eneas' Fleet is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Eugène Delacroix. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Eugène Delacroix created the oil painting The Winter – Juno beseeches to destroy Eneas’ Fleet circa 1850. The work is part of the collection of the São Paulo Museum of Art and exemplifies the French Romantic approach to mythological subject matter.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the goddess Juno, positioned on a cliff and imploring the forces of nature to wreck the fleet of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Below her, sailors struggle against a storm‑tossed sea, embodying the tension between divine will and human vulnerability.
Technique & Style
Delacroix employs a vigorous palette dominated by a scarlet robe and dark, brooding waters, using strong contrasts of light and shadow to heighten drama. The brushwork is loose and energetic, reflecting his preference for color and movement over precise anatomical modeling.
Context
Working in the mid‑nineteenth century, Delacroix aligned himself with the Romantic tradition that prized emotional intensity and theatrical narratives, drawing inspiration from Rubens and the Venetian masters rather than the restrained classicism of his predecessors.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the canvas has remained in private hands before being acquired by the São Paulo Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s European painting holdings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( DEL-ə-krwah, -KRWAH; French:; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.
