Cleopatra and the Asp, Bolognese School, late 17th century. Dimensions: 194x186 cm, oil on canvas. Price: private negotiation. The object is accompanied by our certificate of authenticity. The painting depicts the famous scene of Cleopatra taking her own life by being bitten by an asp. The episode of the queen's suicide is described, in particular, by the Greek historian Plutarch in his "Life of Mark Antony." The story of Cleopatra has fascinated numerous writers and artists throughout the centuries, contributing to the transformation of a historical figure of tragic greatness into a legend. The splendid Cleopatra was the last ruler of Egypt and the last descendant of Alexander the Great's successors. With her, the Greek Ptolemaic reign in Egypt concluded, and the long dominion of Rome began. Born around 69 BC, she became Queen of Egypt at seventeen. Married to her brother Ptolemy XIII, thanks to her strong personality, she immediately prevailed over her husband's power, whom she had killed by the Romans. On that occasion, Cleopatra seduced Julius Caesar. However, Egyptian religion did not tolerate the queen remaining without a legitimate consanguineous husband. Cleopatra therefore married another brother, Ptolemy XIV, in 47 BC, but alone, she moved to Rome with Julius Caesar, with whom she had a son, Caesarion. After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra fled and returned to Egypt, where she had her second husband killed and elevated her son Caesarion to the rank of co-regent. After the end of the first part of the civil wars following Julius Caesar's death, Cleopatra seduced the victor of the East, Mark Antony. Although Mark Antony was married to Octavian's sister, Octavia, the two became lovers until the end of their lives. Cleopatra and Antony's politics, aimed at dominating all of the East, favored Octavian's reaction, who accused the queen of undermining Rome's dominance by convincing the Romans to declare war on Egypt. In 31 BC, the Roman naval forces clashed with those of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, which was won by Octavian. Cleopatra took refuge in Alexandria, followed by Antony. Octavian invaded the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt and entered Alexandria. In 30 BC, after Antony's suicide to avoid being tortured and taken prisoner by Octavian, Cleopatra locked herself in the Ptolemaic mausoleum and, according to Plutarch's version, killed herself by being bitten by an asp. The great fortune that her tragic story has had in European literature and painting of all times bears witness to the greatness and charm of her character. In the painting, the queen is depicted inside her mausoleum, bringing the asp to her bare chest. Behind her, a handmaiden rushes in, attempting in vain to stop her. Like a curtain, a voluminous red drapery opens, revealing, besides a balustrade, a hint of landscape. Stylistically, the work can be attributed to a painter of the Bolognese school from the late 17th century. The canvas shows stylistic echoes of models by Guido Reni and Benedetto Gennari. New images will be inserted shortly.
Period: 17th century