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Secondary sourcePainting

Virgil Reading the Aeneid

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

A pencil drawing by Ingres showing the poet Virgil reading his epic Aeneid before Augustus and his court.

Depicts Augustus's court receiving Virgil's reading, reflecting his role as a literary patron.

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Pencil sketch on grey paper of a scene with several seated and standing figures in classical drapery, including a central reclining figure and a figure reading, with a standing nude figure at left. Numbers 101 and 79 appear in the corners.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Virgil Reading the Aeneid (drawing), Musée Ingres.

About this source

What it is

This pencil drawing is by French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, held at the Musée Ingres. It shows a scene of several classically draped figures, including a reading figure thought to represent the poet Virgil, performing before the emperor Augustus and his court.

Why it matters

Augustus was a major patron of literature, and Virgil's epic poem the Aeneid was closely tied to his rule. This later drawing reflects how artists imagined the relationship between political power and poetry in ancient Rome, and how Augustus was remembered as a supporter of great writers.

Look closer

  • Why might Ingres have chosen to draw this literary moment rather than a battle or ceremony?
  • What does the composition suggest about who holds attention in the scene?
  • What does this drawing tell us about Ingres's time, rather than about Augustus's own court?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Augustus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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