Amazing painting of Cleopatra oil on canvas with a gilt wood frame.
Attributed to Giuseppe Diamantini (Fossombrone 1621-Venice 1705)
The dramatic subject of the painting depicts the final moments in the life of the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, as she prepares to commit suicide, as recounted by Plutarch in his Lives of the Caesars. The painter has chosen to represent the moment when the asp which has been smuggled in to Cleopatra in the flower basket by her servant , is about to deliver the lethal bite into her bare breast. The artist heightened the dramatic potency of the image through the stark contrast between the fair skin of Cleopatra and the dark background of the painting. His particular attention to detail can be seen in the gold edging on the red-coloured drapery and the reflection of light captured in Cleopatra’s and her young servant pearl earring.
Salvator Rosa frame in gilded and lacquered wood. Oil on canvas. Sizes 84 × 108 cm. With frame cm 124 x100.
Very good state of conservation.
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Details
Attributed to
Diamantini Giuseppe (1621 – 1705, Italian)
Creation Year
1680
Dimensions
Height: 48.82 in (124 cm)
Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)
Depth: 1.97 in (5 cm)
Medium
Oil
Movement & Style
Academic
Period
Late 17th Century
Condition
Good
Gallery Location
Rome, IT