Cleopatra dissolves the pearl

The artwork portrays Cleopatra in a half-length composition, elegantly attired and adorned with an intricate hairstyle, as she loosens a pearl into a cup. The Queen of Egypt is depicted in exceptionally refined garments, highlighting the use of luxurious materials and valuable adornments such as a circular pearl embellishing her left shoulder and additional pearls on the embroidered cuff of her left arm, which is secured by a rectangular gemstone, possibly a ruby. The scene’s opulence is further emphasized by long strands of pearls draped over a richly carved and gilded chair in the background, as well as the blue and gold enamelled, silver-plated cup decorated with cherubs that Cleopatra holds in her right hand. She is shown leaning on a segment of a table or console featuring shelves, topped with thick marble and supported by an intricately carved and gilded wooden frame. A large red curtain adorned with fringes and golden tassels serves as the backdrop for the scene. The painting illustrates a notable episode from the life of the last Ptolemaic ruler, as told by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia (IX, 119–121). In this event, Cleopatra wagers with Antony that she could consume, by herself, a single meal valued at ten million sesterces. During an opulent banquet, the queen requests a cup of vinegar into which she dissolves one of her two renowned pearls and subsequently drinks the contents, thereby winning the challenge presented to the Roman general.
The canvas is part of a series referred to as “six half-figures of illustrious women” mentioned by Giovan Pietro Bellori (Bellori [1672] 2009, 651), who attributed the work to Carlo Maratti (1625–1713), identifying Francesco Montioni (?–1716) from Spoleto as the commissioner. Current research has not clarified whether the painting at the Museo di Palazzo Venezia originated from the Montioni collection or from that of Niccolò Maria Pallavicini (?–1714), another banker and supporter of Maratti’s work. The canvas was later donated posthumously by Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona (1695–1747) to Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo (1663–1753), and subsequently donated by Fabrizio Ruffo di Motta Bagnara between 1915 and 1919 to the Museum of Palazzo Venezia. Cardinal Ruffo’s inventory states that the work was acquired for five hundred scudi by Marquis Pallavicini (De Angelis 2013, 208, note 107), though it does not clarify whether the purchase was made directly from the artist. Among the cycle of illustrious women referenced by Bellori, only this Cleopatra and the Vestal Tuccia are extant (Rudolph 1995, 98). The series of female figures served as representations of virtues attributed to heroines, queens, saints, and notable individuals from antiquity, whether historical or mythical, acting as exempla virtutis. Notably, the face of the Egyptian queen in this painting is modeled on Faustina Maratti (1679–1745), a poet and member of the Arcadian Academy who was the artist’s daughter and model, also featured in the Allegory of Painting held at Palazzo Corsini (inv. 220, oil on canvas, 61x50 cm), dated to the late seventeenth century. A comparable timeframe, specifically between 1693 and 1695, may be proposed for the creation of Cleopatra, distinguished by its assured and decisive stroke, meticulous attention to the materials of garments and fabrics, and refined light effects on the jewelry and sweeping drapery. Formerly part of the Ruffo collection, this painting achieved notable recognition, as evidenced by several known oil reproductions—many executed by Maratti’s students and followers. Examples include the version housed at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence (Clark 1959, 4), as well as another highly similar painting, once attributed to Maratti himself but now attributed to Andrea Procaccini, located at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (Notre Dame, Indiana) and donated by Richard E. Berlin (Rudolph 1995, 98, 105, fig. 63, with an incorrect location listed).

Dario Beccarini

Entry published on 16 October 2025

Good. The color palette selected by the artist is not immediately discernible, with both warm and cool tones appearing together in a balanced contrast. There is a reduction of the original strokes of color in certain areas of the painted surface, such as on the subject's right shoulder and beneath the curls, where a possible pentimento—potentially a jewel or string of pearls—can be observed; another possible pentimento may be present at Cleopatra’s waist. The lower section of the canvas is less distinct, featuring brushstrokes that become more irregular, along with visible retouching.

Bequeathed by Cardinal Troiano Acquaviva d’Aragona in 1747 to Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo in Rome; Donated by Don Fabrizio Ruffo di Motta Bagnara 1915–1919;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, 1919.

Inventory of Cardinal Tommaso Ruffo’s possessions: “Famous painting by Carlo Maratta depicting Cleopatra, approximately eight palms high with a gilded frame, which was paid for by Signor Marchese Pallavicino, sc. 500” (State Archives of Rome, Notaries AC, vol. 3818, February 21, 1753, f392 verso); 
Archvio del Museo di Palazzo Venezia, Registro dipinti (without signature), no. 31, unnumbered page, under “state of conservation” the painting is listed as “restored” and under “location” it is listed as being in “II DEP. DORA”, inscription in pencil dated July 15, 1986.

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