The suicide of Cleopatra: Cleopatra stands next to her bed holding the asp in her left hand. Line engraving by R. Strange after G. Reni, 1777.

  • Reni, Guido, 1575-1642.
Date:
1777
Reference:
42961i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Available online

view The suicide of Cleopatra: Cleopatra stands next to her bed holding the asp in her left hand. Line engraving by R. Strange after G. Reni, 1777.

Public Domain Mark

You can use this work for any purpose without restriction under copyright law. Read more about this licence.

Credit

The suicide of Cleopatra: Cleopatra stands next to her bed holding the asp in her left hand. Line engraving by R. Strange after G. Reni, 1777. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Cleopatra VII (69 BC-30 BC), Egyptian Queen, lover of Julius Caesar and later the wife of Mark Antony. After the Roman armies of Octavian (the future Emperor Augustus) defeated their combined forces, Antony and Cleopatra killed themselves, and Egypt fell under Roman domination. Rather than be dragged through the city in which she had been borne as a queen, she killed herself, possibly by means of an asp, symbol of divine royalty.

Publication/Creation

[Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1777.

Physical description

1 print : line engraving, with etching ; image 45.2 x 33 cm

Lettering

Cleopatra. E tabula Guidonis Reni, in Pinacotheca Domini de Montriblou armigeri conservata. Ro. Strange delin. et sculp. 1777. Guido Reni pinxit

Edition

[Le Blanc's state II: with lettering].

References note

Charles Le Blanc,Catalogue de l'oeuvre de Robert Strange, graveur, Leipzig 1848, pp. 24-25, no. 23

Reference

Wellcome Collection 42961i

Type/Technique

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link