The Death of Cleopatra, 1796/97

ArtistJean-Baptiste Regnault, Paris 1754–1829 Paris

Oil on canvas

Dimensions without frame64,5 × 80 cm

Dimensions with frame87,8 × 103,2 cm

Status

on display, room 007

About the workThe Egyptian queen Cleopatra is said to have killed herself by an asp bite after her troops were defeated in an important battle. She chose death when she no longer saw any possibility of freedom. This picture was painted by Jean-Baptiste Regnault during the French Revolution, which the artist professed to support. The image may refer to the revolutionary motto “freedom or death”, which Regnault also took up in other paintings. In the context of these historical events, Cleopatra represents a martyr of revolutionary ideas.

AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Provenance[...]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Inventory numberM 2352

Contact

sammlung@kunstpalast.de

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