Helen Saved from Aeneas by Venus, 1799

P.J. CHALLIOU, French, active around 1800
Helen Saved from Aeneas by Venus
black and white chalk, 1799
Ackland Fund, 84.24.1

This work, one of two pendant drawings illustrating Virgil’s Aeneid, was probably displayed in the Salon of 1800. It depicts the dramatic moment when Aeneas attempts to kill Helen in revenge for the destruction she had brought on the city of Troy, and the goddess Venus saves her from his wrath.

However, in contrast to the drama of the moment, the characters’ faces are passive. Aeneas’ face is as devoid of emotion as the classical statue behind him, and Helen’s expression, while emotional, is significantly downplayed. Aeneas’ controlled emotion reflects the later eighteenth-century emphasis on gestures and the movements of the body as expressive of emotion. While facial expression continued to be important, many artists now viewed the face as one signifier among many. In the Challiou drawing, Aeneas’ grasp expresses his rage, and Venus’ authoritative hand, juxtaposed against Aeneas’ figure, suggests the control she exerts upon the scene.

Cathy Dorin