Cleopatra

The sculpture of Cleopatra was created by Jan Albrecht Siegwitz and Jan Adam Karinger between 1729 and 1734. It was originally located in the palace garden in Brzezinka near Oleśnica, from where it was moved around 1950 to the palace gardens of the Museum in Wilanów. In 1969, it was transferred to the Castle Museum in Łańcut.

The sandstone sculpture depicts Cleopatra. The legendary ruler of Egypt is shown standing. She leans her left hand on a tree trunk placed on two steps. Her left foot also rests on these steps, shifting the weight of her body to the right side. Cleopatra’s figure is draped in a long, loose robe, held under her chest by her right forearm. The fabric passes over her left forearm, covering her body while revealing her left leg, chest, and shoulders. Long, wavy strands of hair cascade down her back. Her head is tilted to the right and towards the back. Cleopatra’s face, with slightly parted lips and half-closed eyes, expresses suffering. The source of this agony is a snake, held in her right hand, biting into her left breast. The sculpture is set on a rectangular, tripartite pedestal. The side walls are decorated with rectangular plaques.

Cleopatra died under unclear circumstances on 12 August 30 BCE. Over the centuries, numerous theories have emerged about her death, including the widely known account of her being bitten by a venomous snake. This type of death was described by ancient authors such as Plutarch, Virgil, and Horace.

Anna Szczęsny