Fine Art Friday

I’m absolutely fascinated by this portrait of Cleopatra by Artemisia Gentilischi (1620). It’s a common scene of Cleopatra committing suicide by holding a snake to her breast. But the depiction of her is striking because it isn’t idealized, from the pose, to the lighting, to her hair, to her weight. The snake itself is nearly invisible, which suggests Freudian interpretations. Far from the glamorous Egyptian queen we usually think of.

Gentilischi was one of the few well-known female painters of her time. She often chose strong women as her subjects—Judith (who beheaded Holofernes), Susanna (tormented by the Elders), etc. She was centuries ahead of her time in my view.