Collection Online as of January 25, 2021
The Death of Sophonisba
attributed to Pierre Guérin
(French, 1774-1833)
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
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.