Ciro Ferri - The death of Cleopatra
Ciro Ferri
The death of Cleopatra
Oil on canvas. 101 x 125 cm.
After the defeat of her lover Marcus Antonius in the naval Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Cleopatra resolved to take her own life by the bite of a poisonous snake. According to legend, the serpent was hidden in a basket of fruit handed to her by a maid, after the queen had learned that Octavian intended to capture her and parade her in a triumph in Rome. By committing suicide, she escaped the humiliation of witnessing Egypt’s transformation into a Roman province.
Francesca Baldassari, who was the first to attribute the painting to Ciro Ferri, notes that the facial features of the figures, the sumptuous garments, and the vivid coloring reveal a strong influence of Pietro da Cortona. She dates the work to around 1670, when Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici summoned Ferri to Florence to complete the frescoes in the Palazzo Pitti after Pietro da Cortona’s death.
Certificate
Dr. Francesca Baldassari, Florence, 08.01.2013
Provenance
With Galleria Giamblanco, Turin, 2013. - Aquired there by present owner.
Ciro Ferri
The death of Cleopatra
Oil on canvas. 101 x 125 cm.
After the defeat of her lover Marcus Antonius in the naval Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Cleopatra resolved to take her own life by the bite of a poisonous snake. According to legend, the serpent was hidden in a basket of fruit handed to her by a maid, after the queen had learned that Octavian intended to capture her and parade her in a triumph in Rome. By committing suicide, she escaped the humiliation of witnessing Egypt’s transformation into a Roman province.
Francesca Baldassari, who was the first to attribute the painting to Ciro Ferri, notes that the facial features of the figures, the sumptuous garments, and the vivid coloring reveal a strong influence of Pietro da Cortona. She dates the work to around 1670, when Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici summoned Ferri to Florence to complete the frescoes in the Palazzo Pitti after Pietro da Cortona’s death.
Certificate
Dr. Francesca Baldassari, Florence, 08.01.2013
Provenance
With Galleria Giamblanco, Turin, 2013. - Aquired there by present owner.
