Who painted Cleopatra?

Cleopatra was painted by Barthel Beham in 1524.

Where can I see Cleopatra?

Cleopatra is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Cleopatra?

Cleopatra is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Cleopatra

Barthel Beham , 1524

Cleopatra is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Barthel Beham. It dates from 1524 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Barthel Beham’s 1524 engraving, titled Cleopatra, presents a solitary female figure in a wooded setting. Rendered on laid paper, the print measures the delicate balance between human form and natural elements, using the medium’s capacity for fine line work to convey texture and depth.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure stands barefoot, nude above the waist, clutching a coiled snake in one hand and a sprig of vine in the other. Though labeled Cleopatra, the scene does not depict a historical portrait; instead it evokes mythic associations of the Egyptian queen with danger, sensuality, and the natural world.

Technique & Style

Beham employs precise, incised lines and cross‑hatching to model the figure’s skin, the snake’s scales, and the surrounding foliage. The engraving’s tonal range emerges from varied line density, allowing subtle shading of foliage, bark, and small fauna such as birds and a rabbit that populate the background.

History & Provenance

Created in the early sixteenth century, the print reflects the Northern Renaissance interest in classical and exotic subjects. It survives in several museum collections, documented in catalogues of Beham’s oeuvre, and is noted for its early exploration of Cleopatra as an allegorical figure rather than a literal portrait.

Context

During the 1520s, German engravers like Beham often merged humanist themes with detailed natural observation. The work aligns with contemporary fascination with antiquity and the moral symbolism attached to serpents and vines, common motifs in Renaissance allegory.