Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een reliëf door Anne Seymour Damer, voorstellend een scene uit Antonius en Cleopatra door William Shakespeare before 1864

This photogravure print is after a relief by Anne Seymour Damer, depicting a scene from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. It captures a pivotal moment of love and loss. Damer, a woman artist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, occupied a unique position in society. As a sculptor, she navigated the male-dominated art world while also engaging with political and intellectual circles. In Shakespeare's play, Cleopatra embodies power, sexuality, and agency, challenging traditional gender roles. Damer’s choice to represent the Queen speaks to both the artist's interest in portraying complex, powerful women and her own negotiation of societal expectations. The scene’s emotional intensity—Cleopatra cradling the dying Antony—adds a layer of intimacy to the narrative. The print, a reproduction of Damer's relief, allows us to reflect on the ways in which stories and identities are mediated through different forms and across time, revealing enduring themes of love, power, and mortality.