The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra 1696 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created this pen and wash drawing, The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra, sometime in the 18th century. Tiepolo, who lived in Venice, would have understood the idea of the city as a place of spectacle and power, and the relationship between Anthony and Cleopatra has been depicted countless times. Here, Cleopatra is attended by servants while Anthony bows before her. The setting is opulent, but the moment is intimate and full of emotional complexity. It speaks to the power dynamics between a man and a woman, a Roman general and an Egyptian queen. Cleopatra was a woman in a position of power in a world dominated by men, yet her story, through Roman eyes, is often about seduction and the downfall of great men. Tiepolo invites us to consider these historical figures as real people, navigating the treacherous waters of love and politics.