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The Death of Sophonisba
Pierre Guérin (French, 1774-1833)c. 1810
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
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.
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Details
- Title: The Death of Sophonisba
- Creator: Pierre Guérin (French, 1774-1833)
- Date Created: c. 1810
- Physical Dimensions: Framed: 52 x 80 x 7 cm (20 1/2 x 31 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 40 x 60 cm (15 3/4 x 23 5/8 in.)
- Provenance: Jacques de Caso (Berkeley, Califfornia), by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 2008.
- Type: Painting
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2008.71
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Fun Fact: The story of Sophonisba has been an inspiration to artists, writers, and even filmmakers since the 1300s.
- Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Culture: France, 19th century
- Credit Line: Bequest of Jacques de Caso in memory of Alice Cagliostro and Domenick Cagliostro
- Collection: Mod Euro - Painting 1800-1960
- Accession Number: 2008.71
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