Dood van Cleopatra before 1669

Pieter Perret rendered this copper engraving of Cleopatra's death. It is a powerful scene filled with symbols of mortality and the afterlife. The most striking motif is, of course, the asp, which is depicted coiled around Cleopatra’s arm. In ancient Egypt, the asp was a symbol of royalty and divine power, often associated with the goddess Isis. Cleopatra's choice to die by its venom was a statement of her continued power and refusal to be subjugated. The inclusion of a cherubic figure evokes a sense of divine witness. This reflects the Christianized understanding of classical narratives during Perret’s time. Compare this with depictions of Eve, tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Here, the snake represents temptation and the loss of innocence, a stark contrast to its association with divinity. The image of Cleopatra, beautiful in death, speaks to our collective fascination with tragedy and the allure of self-determination. The asp, in its various forms, becomes a potent carrier of meaning, embodying themes of power, death, and transformation, resonating within our cultural psyche across millennia.