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Secondary sourcePaintingca. 1745–47

The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo · ca. 1745–47

An 18th-century painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo showing the legendary meeting of Antony and Cleopatra on a riverbank.

A later imagined depiction of Cleopatra's meeting with Antony, part of the enduring artistic legend of their alliance.

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Painting of a scene on a sandy shore: a richly canopied barge at left with attendants, a woman in a yellow gown being approached by a man in armor and a red cloak, a dog at right, a pillar and palm tree behind, and a red banner overhead.
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, ca. 1745–47. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This painting was made around 1745–1747 by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It shows an imagined meeting between Cleopatra and Mark Antony on a shore, with a canopied barge and attendants nearby. It is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Painted nearly 1,800 years after the events it depicts, this work reflects the lasting fame of Cleopatra and Antony's story in European art. Tiepolo, a leading painter of his time, used the grand historical theme to display skill in composition, costume, and drama rather than historical accuracy.

Look closer

  • What details suggest this is an imagined, theatrical scene rather than a historical record?
  • How does the artist use color and composition to draw attention to Cleopatra and Antony?
  • Why might this meeting have become such a popular subject in art?

This painting 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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