Bust of Cleopatra

This is a marble bust of Cleopatra, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. She co-reigned with her brother and later her son. Aristide Petrilli studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence and exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900. Like many sculptors of his century, Petrilli specialised in marble busts and female nudes, as well as funerary monuments. This gripping portrayal of the powerful empress Cleopatra shows her in the moment leading up to her death. According to the famous story, Cleopatra poisoned herself with a venomous asp, which she clutches here in her right hand. Her brow is creased dramatically as she contemplates the fatal act.

本件作品为埃及托勒密王朝最后一位实际执政的统治者克利奥帕特拉（Cleopatra）的大理石胸像。她曾先后与兄长及儿子共治朝政。阿里斯蒂德·佩特里利（Aristide Petrilli）曾就读于佛罗伦萨美术学院（Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze），并于1900年参展巴黎世界博览会。与同时代诸多雕塑家一样，佩特里利的创作专长涵盖大理石胸像、女性裸体雕塑与丧葬纪念碑。这件极具感染力的作品，生动呈现了这位强权女皇临终前的片刻：据广为流传的典故，克利奥帕特拉以右手紧握的毒蝰（venomous asp）服毒自尽，此刻她眉头紧蹙，正沉思着这一致命抉择。