The Death of Sophonisba
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 40 × 60 cm · framed: 52 × 80 × 7 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Modern European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Jacques de Caso in memory of Alice Cagliostro and Domenick Cagliostro
Accession Number
2008.71
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
When a Roman general seized Sophonisba as war booty, her husband encouraged her to die with dignity rather than become a captive. She chose suicide by poison. As depicted in the painting, the toxin has just begun to take effect, and she uneasily maintains composure while penning a suicide note.