Dido building Carthage

Dido building Carthage, or The Rise of the Carthaginian Empire is an oil on canvas painting by J. M. W. Turner.

The painting is one of Turner's most important works, greatly influenced by the luminous classical landscapes of Claude Lorrain.

The eruption of Mount Tambora in April 1815 created magnificent sunrises and sunsets which may have inspired Turner's paintings in this period.

His revised will of 1831 changed the bequest, so Dido building Carthage would be accompanied by Sun Rising through Vapour, and the two works would be exhibited alongside Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba and Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca (also known as The Mill).

A codicil in 1848 donated the remainder of his completed works to the new National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, so they could be displayed together.