Cleopatra halfnaakt liggend op bed 1515 - 1527

This engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi depicts Cleopatra, half-naked and reclining on a bed, her arm draped languidly above her head. This pose, known from antiquity, is fraught with symbolic weight, echoing images of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The reclining figure, common in both classical sculpture and Renaissance painting, speaks to a lineage of portraying powerful women in repose. Consider Titian's Venus of Urbino, where a similar posture conveys sensuality and authority. Yet, here, with Cleopatra, there's a distinct somberness, perhaps alluding to her tragic end. The draping of her arm above her head is not merely a gesture of comfort, but a symbolic echo of mourning. We see it again and again, this gesture of grief, from ancient funerary art to modern depictions of loss. It is a primal expression, deeply embedded in our collective consciousness, conveying sorrow and resignation across centuries. Cleopatra, in this moment, becomes a vessel for universal human emotions, her story resonating as a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of history.