Oriental Scene: The Death of Cleopatra
by LASSALLE-BORDES, Gustave, Oil on canvas, 39 x 33 cm
Cleopatra, queen of Egypt and lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, takes her life following the defeat of her forces against Octavian, the future first emperor of Rome. The death of Cleopatra was a favorite Orientalist scene for painters that combined historical painting with the luxuriousness of Eastern settings and costumes.