Cleopatra Standing 1529

Sebald Beham's 1529 engraving, "Cleopatra Standing", depicts the famous Egyptian queen in a moment of vulnerability. Standing naked, her body contorted in pain, she is shown shortly before her death. A snake, symbolic of Cleopatra's suicide, is wrapped around her arm, while a chain, a vase, and shackles lie on the ground, representing the queen's imprisonment and eventual demise. The dramatic composition and realistic detail are characteristic of Beham's work. This print, like many of his other works, offers a glimpse into the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity and its tragic figures.