Cy apres sensuit de cleopatre royne des egipciens · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit de cleopatre royne des egipciens
Subject: Famous Women; Important Queens; Cleopatra; Cleopatra VII; Mark Antony; Octavian; Important Women
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Egypt; North Africa; Ancient Rome
Description: This illumination depicts the Roman general Mark Antony and his wife, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, killing themselves. After fleeing a battle with Octavian, Mark Antony stabbed himself to avoid dying at the hands of his enemies. He is illustrated lying on the ground with a knife in his chest. Boccaccio believes that Cleopatra killed herself by cutting her wrists and putting asps in the wounds to poison herself. She is illustrated sitting in a chair with her head fallen over to the side. The asps are depicted by her wrists.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:18520
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence; 1401 Florence
Image: mta_18520_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Important Queens; Cleopatra; Cleopatra VII; Mark Antony; Octavian; Important Women