Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius
2023 © Maxim Tabachnik
David with the Head of GoliathThe Council of the Gods (detail)The Rape of Proserpina (detail)Saint Jerome WritingApollo and Daphne with The Apotheosis of RomulusAeneas, Anchises, and AscaniusMadonna and Child with St Anne (Madonna dei Palafrenieri)Apollo and DaphneThe Council of the GodsThe EntombmentThe Rape of ProserpinaRoman Civilization and the Heroic Virtue of Honor

Aeneas, Anchises, and AscaniusBernini

356
This early masterpiece (1618–19) shows Aeneas carrying his father Anchises and leading his son Ascanius as they flee Troy. Anchises holds the Penates (household gods safeguarding family and hearth), while Ascanius carries a flame, symbol of Rome’s divine lineage. Bernini unites filial duty, piety, and sacrifice with striking youthful vigor.