Cleopatra, Eros, Antony, Charmian and Iras (Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, Act 3, Scene 9)
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 7/16 × 2 9/16 in. (8.8 × 6.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harriet McDonald, 1941
Accession Number
41.91.158
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate etching and engraving, titled *Cleopatra, Eros Antony, Charmian andras* from Shakespeare's *Antony and Cleopatra* (Act3, Scene 9), captures a pivotal moment in the tragic romance between the Egyptian queen and Roman general Mark Antony. Created between 1825 and 1840 by designer Henry Corbould and engraver Charles Rolls—drawing directly from William Shakespeare's immortal text—the print depicts the entangled lovers amid their attendants, evoking the play's themes of passion, power, and impending doom. In this scene, Antony reflects on his faltering fortunes, with Eros loyally by h...
About the Artist
Henry Corbould|Charles Rolls|William Shakespeare · 1787–1844
Comment on works: History; Literary illustrations; Genre