The Museum of Fine Arts in Chambéry has successfully acquired another work by French painter Laurent Pécheux (1729-1821) through preemption rights. The painting, titled "Air or Juno Asks Aeolus to Stir the Winds Against Aeneas's Fleet and Excite the Storm," was sold for 8,500 euros at the Métayer-Mermoz auction house in Nevers on November 23.
This acquisition marks a significant addition to the museum's growing collection of Pécheux works. The painting had previously appeared on the art market without finding buyers at Piasa in 2015 and Aguttes in 2016, likely due to much higher estimates at those sales. The work now joins three other pieces by the artist that the museum has acquired since 2018, in addition to works donated by King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy in 1850, when Chambéry belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Painted in 1804, this large-format canvas measuring 126 x 184.5 cm represents the artist's later period and depicts a dramatic scene from Virgil's Aeneid. The painting illustrates the allegory of Air, embodied by Aeolus, the god of winds, whom the vengeful goddess Juno approaches in her anger against the Trojan hero Aeneas. The scene captures the opening of the epic poem, where Aeneas's fleet was approaching Italy, much to the displeasure of the goddess who, accompanied by the beautiful Deiopea, successfully convinced the wind god to unleash a terrible storm.
The painting vividly brings to life Virgil's dramatic description of the tempest: "Immediately, with the point of his reversed spear, Aeolus strikes the hollow flank of the mountain: the winds, arranged in battle formation, rush through the opening door and blow in whirlwinds over the earth. They have fallen upon the sea, entirely lifted from its depths by the east wind Eurus and the south wind Notus, united with Africus rich in squalls, while enormous waves break toward the shores. Immediately rise the cries of men and the creaking of rigging. The clouds suddenly steal the sky and the light of day from the eyes of the Trojans."
This acquisition reflects the museum's continued commitment to building its collection of works by Laurent Pécheux, an important French neoclassical painter who spent much of his career in Italy. The painting's theme of divine intervention and natural forces aligns with the artistic traditions of the period, showcasing Pécheux's skill in handling mythological subjects and his mastery of large-scale composition during his final creative years.
