Juno Ordering Aeolus to Unleash the Winds 1775

Louis Jean Jacques Durameau created this drawing, Juno Ordering Aeolus to Unleash the Winds, using pen and brown ink with brown wash, over graphite on cream laid paper. Born in Paris, Durameau was a painter who followed the classicizing trends of the 18th century. The drawing illustrates a scene from Virgil’s Aeneid, a story loaded with power, vengeance, and natural chaos. Juno, the Roman queen of the gods, embodies a powerful feminine figure, directing Aeolus to unleash the winds upon the Trojan fleet. Durameau’s choice to represent this particular scene encapsulates the era’s fascination with powerful female figures. The turbulent winds and distressed figures below Juno highlight the destructive potential when power is unchecked. Though the scene is fantastical, it echoes the very real political and social upheavals brewing in France at the time. Ultimately, the drawing serves as an allegory of power and control, rendered with the visual drama characteristic of its era.