Artwork
Aeneas in der Unterwelt
Aeneas in der Unterwelt is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Frans Francken the Younger. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition combines allegorical symbolism with a vivid narrative, underscoring the hero's resolve amid supernatural trial.
The painting portrays Aeneas, the Trojan hero from Virgil's epic, in the realm of the dead, a scene drawn from classical mythology that illustrates his descent to seek counsel from the spirit of his father. This iconography emphasizes themes of duty, destiny, and the founding of Rome, reflecting Counter-Reformation interests in moral exempla and the continuity of imperial purpose. The composition combines allegorical symbolism with a vivid narrative, underscoring the hero's resolve amid supernatural trial.
History & Provenance
Aeneas in der Unterwelt was created by Frans Francken the Younger in 1600, as a small-scale mythological painting on panel measuring 27.1 by 40.8 cm. The work is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. No further details regarding its commission, earlier ownership, or chain of custody are documented in the available sources.
The painting is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Its dimensions are 40.8 cm in width and 27.1 cm in height, recorded in 1600. The work has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on Flemish and German Baroque art at the museum.
Overview
Executed in 1600 by the Antwerp painter Frans Francken the Younger, this work belongs to the Flemish Baroque period. It portrays the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas amid the tormented realm of the dead, rendered on a compact canvas that now resides in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The composition is dense, filled with figures and beasts caught in a tumultuous landscape.
Technique & Style
Francken employs the vigorous brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro typical of Baroque art, using a dark, cloud‑filled sky and a distant blaze to heighten tension. The crowded foreground, with its tangled figures and snarling dogs, creates a sense of movement, while the rugged rock formations frame the narrative and guide the viewer’s eye toward the central hero.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frans Francken the Younger (1581, Antwerp – 6 May 1642, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter and the best-known and most prolific member of the large Francken family of artists.
- Lot and his Daughters
Incendierea Troiei
Aeneas and a Sibyl in the Underworld
Aeneas and the Sibyl in the Underworld
Temptation of saint Anthony
Landscape during a Thunderstorm with Pyramus and Thisbe
The Burning of Troy
David and Goliath
Lot und seine Töchter vor dem brennenden Sodom
Rich man descending into hell
Christ's Descent into Limbo
Aeneas and his family fleeing the burning city of Troy, with the Trojan horse in the background