Cleopatra
unknown
Basic information
- ID
- Ж-3853
- Author
- unknown
- Name
- Cleopatra
- Technique
- oil painting
- Material
- wood oil
- Dimensions
- 58 x 44.5 cm (height x width)
Additionally
- Type
- painting
- Genre
- portraiture
- Plot
- Portrait
- Exposition
- Potocki Palace
Information about author
Object description
This waist-length depiction of Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, captures the moment of her tragic suicide from the bite of a venomous asp. The young woman is represented completely nude against a neutral dark background. Her head is tilted slightly towards her right shoulder, whilst her gaze, directed upwards, conveys a sense of doom and numbness. Her lips are half-open. With her right hand raised to her chest, she grips the writhing snake.
The composition is built on a stark contrast between light and shadow. Her dark chestnut hair blends into the background, making Cleopatra's face and body appear as if illuminated from within the deep darkness.
The composition is built on a stark contrast between light and shadow. Her dark chestnut hair blends into the background, making Cleopatra's face and body appear as if illuminated from within the deep darkness.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
