Cleopatra

Also dated 1869 and held alongside Italienerin in the Federal Republic's art collection, Makart's Cleopatra participates in the nineteenth century's extraordinary fascination with the last queen of Egypt. From Shakespeare to Berlioz to Gérome, Cleopatra embodied the dangerous allure of the exotic Orient and the fatal consequences of unchecked female power — a fantasy that grew more insistent as European imperialism pushed deeper into North Africa and the Near East. Makart's Cleopatra is consistent with his approach to historical subjects: less interested in archaeological exactitude than in creating a figure of sumptuous beauty and dramatic presence. By 1869 he had already shown his penchant for depicting powerful, sensuous women from history and myth, and Cleopatra offered the ultimate canvas for such ambitions. The work's relatively intimate scale compared to his larger historical machines suggests it may have functioned as a collector's cabinet piece — a concentrated demonstration of technical skill and imaginative force rather than a public statement.

Oil on canvas with the warm, saturated palette Makart favoured for Eastern subjects — deep golds, viridian shadows, and rich burgundy. Smooth, blended handling in the flesh passages contrasts with energetic impasto in jewellery and decorative accessories, maximising visual opulence.