The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet

Claude Lorrain painted The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet around 1643, depicting the episode from Virgil's Aeneid in which the Trojan women, exhausted from their long voyage, set fire to Aeneas's ships in hopes of ending their wandering. The subject gave Claude an unusual opportunity to depict fire within his typically luminous landscape — the flames of the burning ships creating a dramatic contrast with the setting sun on the horizon. The episode's emotional content — the desperation of women who have suffered too much, their sabotage of the journey that will eventually lead to the founding of Rome — was particularly suited to the Virgilian themes that pervade Claude's late work.

The burning ships and agitated figures are subordinated to the luminous harbor setting, with Claude's golden light and calm waters creating a characteristic tension between the drama of the narrative and the serenity of the landscape.