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In France, in the field of works of art, the 16th century marked the revival of the workshops of Limoges, specialized since the 12th century in enamelling, with the development of the technique of painted enamel. This technique consists of adding a binder to the enamel powder in order to obtain a pasty mixture that can be deposited with a spatula or brush on a copper plate. The latter serves as a support for the decoration. It is first covered with fondant (translucent enamel) on both sides and undergoes a first firing: the reverse is thus solidified and protected from the attacks of time (this is called counter-enamel), and the plate prepared to receive the decor. The latter is then obtained by superimposing numerous layers of enamel, deposited with a spatula, which an identical number of firings allows to fix. The author of our decoration, produced here in grisaille, has, as usual, focused his attention for a long time on the layer of white enamel, deposited on a dry black layer and meticulously worked before cooking with a spatula and a needle.
Among the most fervent representatives of this complex technique, we can mention Léonard Limosin, Pierre Reymond or Pierre Courteys. It is to one of their followers that this superb cup representing the Meal of Dido and Aeneas, taken from Virgil's Aeneid, must be attributed. This story tells of the flight of Aeneas, mythical ancestor of the Roman people, prince of Troy, condemned to flee his city after the capture of the Greeks. His journey takes him to Carthage, where Aeneas falls in love with Queen Dido. The scene represented on our cup illustrates the meal during which Aeneas recounts the capture of Troy and retraces his journey.
This composition comes from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi after Raphaël, published around 1515-1516. Representing ten episodes from Virgil's Aeneid, the latter is known as Quos Ego which is the opening words of verse 135 of Book I of the Aeneid: "Quos Ego...!" Sed motos praestat componere fluctus”. These words spoken by Neptune in anger ... against the rebellious winds which are unleashed on the fleet of Aeneas, can be translated as: "I you... But it is better to appease the restless waves". Thus, the god calming the waves is illustrated in the center of Raimondi's engraving and several pieces in painted enamel reflect the success that the model received in Limoges. However, it is the Feast of Dido, illustrated in the lower right part of the engraving, which knew the widest distribution by the enamellers, in the forefront of which Pierre Reymond. Indeed, the latter particularly favored the scene, in particular on his backgrounds, many examples of which are still preserved today. Among them, let us cite a cup with a covered foot kept at the Musée du Petit Palais in Paris1, a plate or another anonymous covered cup, both kept at the Musée du Louvre2.
This composition also enjoyed a certain fortune within the production of majolica, as evidenced in particular by a famous cup on foot from the service of Isabelle d'Este made by Nicola da Urbino.
