Cleopatra 1640 - 1642

Guido Reni painted this Cleopatra in the 17th century, using oil on canvas. It's hard to look at this image without thinking about the politics of female representation. Cleopatra, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, has always been a figure of fascination. Here, Reni presents her at the moment of her suicide, choosing death over the humiliation of defeat by the Roman Empire. Look at how Reni has depicted her. Her skin is pale, almost luminous. Her gaze is directed upwards. She is portrayed as beautiful, vulnerable, and tragic. This representation, though, is a product of its time, and the male gaze. It speaks to a culture where female agency was often denied, and female stories told through a lens of male understanding and control. As historians, we look to letters, diaries, and social histories to understand the context of artistic production. Only then can we start to understand the complex relationship between art, power, and representation.