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What subjects are shown in Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Fleeing Troy?
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Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Apollo and Daphne, marble sculpture by Lorenzo Bernini, 1622–25; in the Borghese Gallery, Rome.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Fleeing Troy (1619) depicts three figures from the Trojan War legend as recounted in Virgil’s Aeneid:1234
- Aeneas: The Trojan hero who, following the fall of Troy, carries his father to safety to fulfill his destiny of founding a new city.124
- Anchises: The father of Aeneas, whom the hero carries on his shoulders as they escape the burning city.14
- Ascanius: The young son of Aeneas, who accompanies them during their flight from Troy.23
The sculpture captures the moment these figures flee the destruction of their home, a scene that serves as a foundational element in the mythical origins of Rome.124