The present paintings combine historic, heraldic, and mythological references. While the central painted portions appear to represent historic figures, the flanking painted areas and carved panels are reserved for mythological elements. All three pictures are rife with allusions to Roman mythology and Virgil’s Aeneid; Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor (1459-1519) and his grandson, Charles V Holy Roman Emperor (1500-1558), began the precedent of tracing their genealogy to Troy, proclaiming a descendance from Aeneas.

In the large painting, the ship sails amongst tritons, sea nymphs, dolphins, and sea monsters. The ship is being held safely against the winds being blown by figures above the right-hand carved panel. In the Aeneid, Juno asks the wind god Aeolus to impede Aeneas’ journey by having his winds blow about the ships before Neptune comes to the rescue and calms the seas for Aeneas.

The female figure in the center probably represent Cloelia, figure from early Roman history who was kidnapped and escaped by swimming across the river Tiber. She is often represented making her escape on horseback. The left-hand panel is carved and painted in the form of a ruinous arch. A putto pours a basket of flowers over a pyramid in the background, two animals chase each other in the mid-ground and a group of one male and two female figures sit in the foreground. Above, an angel of victory holds

One of the smaller paintings also features a pyramid. It makes up one of the carved panels, the other composed of a craggy cliff. The work is centered by two rowboats bearing flags similar in color to the large painting, a trumpeter announcing their probable arrival. On the bottom right a hunter sleeping alongside his dog is painted, while on the bottom left there is a carved depiction of a river god. The river god holds his characteristic oar and overturned urn flowing with water. Beside him stands a cupid with an upturned torch, which typically signifies a dead or dormant love.

In the second smaller painting, the central painted portion is again taken up by a small ship. It is similarly surrounded on three sides with carved rocky cliffs. On the bottom left, Pan is represented, surprised to find the nymph Syrix, whom he was pursuing, has been turned into a bunch of reeds. On the bottom left, three Nereid congregate in a pool. Above them, a female figure rests among putti and at the top of the cliff two doves, the symbol of Venus, are depicted beneath Cupid and a sign that reads HUIC NIDUM FLORES AMORES, or “In this nest, love blossoms.”

Carlton Hobbs has been acquiring, researching, conserving and selling museum quality objects and works of art for about 35 years. Carlton Hobbs LLC operates from a landmark building, built by John Russell Pope for Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt in the early 1930s. Carlton Hobbs has supplied some of the world’s most prestigious museums and private collections.

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