Aeneas Crowning Cloanthus

Bol’s painting, made for the Amsterdam Admiralty, shows a scene from Virgil’s Aeneid. Aeneas congratulates one of four ships’ captains who competed in a race. All four were rewarded on their return, even the captain who threw his helmsman overboard for disobeying an order. The painting was accompanied by a poem by Vondel, stressing the importance of firmness and generosity in good government.