Æneas hindres af Venus i sin hævn mod Helena, som har søgt tilflugt ved Cybeles alter 1794

Editor: We're looking at C.G. Pilo's 1794 plaster relief, entitled, "\u00c6neas hindres af Venus i sin h\u00e6vn mod Helena, som har s\u00f8gt tilflugt ved Cybeles alter." Quite a mouthful! I'm struck by its neoclassical austerity, and how that contributes to the sense of a solemn moment frozen in time. What are your thoughts? Curator: Frozen in time is perfect. Pilo’s caught \u00c6neas mid-stride, divinely dissuaded. Isn’t it incredible how Pilo conveys such dynamism within the limitations of plaster? You feel the tension, the pull between duty and...well, maybe just plain old vengeance. I mean, who hasn't felt held back from something they were sure they needed to do? Editor: Definitely! So, what’s the story behind this specific moment he's depicting? Curator: Think the *Aeneid*, but Pilo gives it a little twist. Aeneas is all set to get his revenge on Helen, you know, for all the trouble she caused with the Trojan War, but then Mom – Venus, in this case – steps in and says, "Nope, not today, son. There are bigger things to worry about, like founding Rome." Cybele's altar acts as a place of sanctuary here. Talk about being saved from yourself, or, you know, your own family. Editor: Right, history averted! It's interesting how this is a relief, kind of like history etched in stone... or, well, plaster. So, beyond the literal story, what does this piece tell us about that era, about the artist himself? Curator: I think Pilo really encapsulates the Enlightenment ideal of reason prevailing over passion, the control that art and artists believed they could exact from emotions or subjects... And plaster felt "pure," didn’t it, almost archaeological—connecting directly back to those “civilized” ancient roots the late 18th Century obsessed over. Almost like Pilo is presenting a morality play in sculpted form. But even here, I wonder if he is also wryly poking fun at it with those soft almost sensual female forms. Editor: That makes perfect sense. I'm definitely going to look at it in a new light now, considering that balance between passion and reason and how its tangible form echoes antiquity! Curator: It's all about layering the narrative, right? Seeing those echoes bounce across centuries...that's where the fun really starts.