BATONI, Pompeo
(b. 1708, Lucca, d. 1787, Roma)

Venus Presenting Aeneas with Armour Forged by Vulcan (detail)

1748
Oil on canvas
Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna

Aeneas's shield is a reminder of Batoni's training as an artist in his father's gold workshop. The meticulous style shows that Batoni was originally a miniature painter.