Cleopatra poison trials by convicted prisoners to death

Cleopatra poison trials by death row inmates is a painting of Alexandre Cabanel from 1887. The painter, member of the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts and teacher at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, was located then at the height of his fame. Different collectors were trying to acquire the canvas. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts has done so and gave the work on loan to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where it still resides.

Content

 * 1 Presentation
 * 2 Images
 * 3 Literature
 * 4 External links

Presentation
The painting looks the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in the foreground from a low bench to how some prisoners being poisoned, seemingly unfazed. She sits on a lion's skin, which left the head is still visible. On her head she wears a crown with a vulture . The head of bird rises slightly above her forehead, while the wings along its ears walk down. The queens of Egypt wore this kind of decorations since the fourth dynasty . At her feet is a leopard, a symbol of the goddess Mafdet, the royal power. Right waving a servant of the queen coolness with a large range.

The atrocities left background are thus in stark contrast. On the floor is a man who left with a face of pain holding his stomach. The poison that causes suffering, probably comes from the bottle that keeps the woman is bending over him in her hand. Behind the pair two men carrying a body away. These figures are fuzzier and less colorful painted than the foreground. According toPlutarch, Cleopatra conducted such experiments really in her quest for a quick and painless way to commit suicide

For the palace to the left of the painting, Cabanel was inspired by temples in Edfu and Philae . Egypt was at the end of the nineteenth century in a large interest look through the many archaeological discoveries.There were many pictures and articles available. As Cabanel probably knew illustrations David Roberts . This information he filled with fantasy elements.