Artwork
The Death of Cleopatra
The Death of Cleopatra is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Johann Liss. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
A woman lies half-draped in blue, pressing a white cloth to her face while a small snake slips near her arm. Behind her another figure leans in, worried, under swirling dark clouds. The snake is easy to miss, a quiet clue that points to poison. Johann Liss painted it in 1622.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on Cleopatra, shown partly undressed, having just succumbed to the bite of an asp drawn from a basket nearby.
Johann Liss's The Death of Cleopatra, painted in 1622, portrays the final moments of the Egyptian queen as a history painting. The composition centers on Cleopatra, shown partly undressed, having just succumbed to the bite of an asp drawn from a basket nearby. The scene represents the historical narrative of her suicide, with attendant figures surrounding the queen, and focuses on the physical reality of death by snakebite rather than a romanticized departure.
Technique & Style
The Death of Cleopatra is executed in oil on canvas and dates to 1622. It measures 97.5 cm in height by 85.5 cm in width. Classified as a history painting, it depicts the suicide of Cleopatra, with the asp and basket as central iconographic elements. The available sources do not provide further documentation of the work's condition, palette, or specific handling.
History & Provenance
The Death of Cleopatra, an oil-on-canvas history painting by Johann Liss, dates to circa 1622, a period consistent with the artist's activity in Venice. It is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The painting measures 97.5 cm in height by 85.5 cm in width.
The available records do not specify a unique inventory or accession number, nor do they detail an exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
The oil painting titled "The Death of Cleopatra" captures a dramatic scene centered on a reclining female figure. She is partially covered by blue drapery, with another individual leaning in behind her, conveying distress. The composition is set against a dark background, establishing a somber and intense mood for the depicted event.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johann Liss or Jan Lys (c. 1590 or 1597 – 1629 or 1630) was a leading German Baroque painter of the 17th century, active mainly in Venice.
