The banquet of Dido

A company sits around a table in a hall. Servants carry food. One of them pours wine from a jug into the drinking bowl of an armored man seated in the foreground. It is Achates, the friend of Aeneas, whom he looks at over his shoulder. Aeneas, also in armor, gestures to the woman next to him, Dido, who has her left arm around a child. This is Cupid in the guise of Aeneas' son Ascanius. Next to Dido lie a crown, a scepter, and a pearl necklace on a drape that partially covers a chair. Plates and dishes are displayed in a buffet against the back wall. Above them hang draped curtains, and on the left and right oil lamps hang from the ceiling. On the far left a woman plays the harp; on the left rear, on a balcony, several musicians play. In the borders flowers, fruits, leafy vines, and a great variety of birds are depicted against a dark brown background. The corners are decorated with a shell, volutes, and acanthus leaves.