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44 BC – 14 AD

Cleopatra, Antony & the Rise of the Empire

After Caesar died, his adopted son Octavian fought Mark Antony, who had joined forces with Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Octavian won the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Egypt became part of Rome, and he became Augustus, the first Roman emperor. His reign started two hundred years of peace known as the Pax Romana.

Why artists painted it

Cleopatra's story mixes love, power and tragedy, which made it a favorite subject for painters from the Baroque era onward. Many pictures show her as glamorous; real Cleopatra was a brilliant ruler who spoke many languages.

The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra · Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1885

11 artworks about this moment

The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra Lawrence Alma-Tadema · 1885 🕰️ Painted about 1,870 years later In 41 BC Cleopatra of Egypt arrives to meet the Roman general Mark Antony and wins him over with a spectacular show. Cleopatra and Caesar Cleopatra and Caesar Jean-Léon Gérôme · 1866 🕰️ Painted about 1,850 years later Before Antony there was Caesar: Gérôme shows the young queen arriving in Caesar's rooms. Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners Alexandre Cabanel · 1887 🕰️ Painted about 1,870 years later Cleopatra, near the end of her rule, studies how poisons work by watching their effect on prisoners. The Triumph of Cleopatra The Triumph of Cleopatra William Etty · 1821 🕰️ Painted about 1,810 years later Etty paints Cleopatra arriving by barge at Tarsus to meet Mark Antony, the famous start of their alliance. The Banquet of Cleopatra The Banquet of Cleopatra Giovanni Battista Tiepolo · 1743 🕰️ Painted about 1,730 years later In Tiepolo's glittering scene, Cleopatra dissolves a priceless pearl in her wine to win a bet with Antony. Virgil reading The Aeneid before Augustus, Livia and Octavia Virgil reading The Aeneid before Augustus, Livia and Octavia Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1811 🕰️ Painted about 1,800 years later Augustus, the first emperor, listens as the poet Virgil reads from the Aeneid, the epic that celebrates Rome's origins. Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus and Octavia Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus and Octavia Angelica Kauffmann · 1788 🕰️ Painted about 1,770 years later The poet Virgil reads from his epic poem the Aeneid to the emperor Augustus and his sister Octavia, who faints at the lines about her dead son Marcellus. The Battle of Actium The Battle of Actium Laureys a Castro · 1672 🕰️ Painted about 1,660 years later Dozens of oared warships crash together at Actium in 31 BC, the sea battle where Octavian's fleet beat Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Cleopatra Disembarking at Tarsus Cleopatra Disembarking at Tarsus Claude Lorrain · 1642 🕰️ Painted about 1,630 years later Claude Lorrain turns the arrival of Cleopatra at Tarsus into a glowing harbor scene, where the Egyptian queen steps ashore to meet Mark Antony in the golden light of sunrise. The Century of Augustus The Century of Augustus Jean-Léon Gérôme · 1855 🕰️ Painted about 1,840 years later Jean-Léon Gérôme shows peoples from across the Roman Empire bowing before Augustus in Rome, at the moment of peace in which, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was born. Cleopatra's Feast Cleopatra's Feast Jacob Jordaens · 1653 🕰️ Painted about 1,640 years later Cleopatra bets Mark Antony that she can spend a fortune on one dinner, then drops a priceless pearl in her wine and drinks it.