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The Death of Sophonisba
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe Death of Sophonisba, c. 1810. 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.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Jacques de Caso in memory of Alice Cagliostro and Domenick Cagliostro, 2008.71
