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Secondary sourceSculpture

Relief of Antony and Cleopatra

Giovanni Maria Mosca

A marble relief by Giovanni Maria Mosca showing Antony and Cleopatra, photographed at the Bode Museum.

A later relief recalling Cleopatra's legendary death, part of her enduring artistic legacy.

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White marble relief showing a reclining male figure in armor-like tunic and draped skirt on the left, with a nude female figure standing on the right reaching toward him beside a tree, a small snake and a covered vessel on a ledge below. Architectural columns appear in the background.
Giovanni Maria Mosca, Relief of Antony and Cleopatra, Bode Museum. Photo by Yair Haklai, 2019.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a white marble relief carved by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Maria Mosca, now held at the Bode Museum. It depicts a reclining male figure in armor-like dress beside a nude female figure reaching toward him near a tree, with a small snake and covered vessel nearby.

Why it matters

The imagery recalls the story of Cleopatra's death, often shown with a snake symbolizing her legendary suicide. Made long after her lifetime, this relief is part of a tradition of European sculptors retelling her story in dramatic, symbolic form rather than historical record.

Look closer

  • What details hint that this scene is about Cleopatra's death rather than her life?
  • Why might the sculptor include a snake in the composition?
  • What does the nudity and pose suggest about how the artist viewed the subject?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cleopatra on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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