The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

The Death of Sophonisba

c. 1810

attributed to Pierre Guérin

(French, 1774–1833)
France, 19th century
oil on canvas
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.)
Bequest of Jacques de Caso in memory of Alice Cagliostro and Domenick Cagliostro 2008.71
Location: 202 French Neoclassical Decorative Arts

Did You Know?

The story of Sophonisba has been an inspiration to artists, writers, and even filmmakers since the 1300s.

Description

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.
  • Jacques de Caso (Berkeley, Califfornia), by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 2008.
  • Bottineau, Josette. "De Belisaire a Marcus Sextus. Genese et Histoire d'un Tableau de Pierre Guerin (1774-1833). Revue Du Louvre: La Revue Des Musées de France 43, no. 3 (June 1993): 41-53. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 52-53, fig. 11
  • {{cite web|title=The Death of Sophonisba|url=false|author=Pierre Guérin|year=c. 1810|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2008.71