Portretten van Cleopatra en Marcus Antonius 1710

Editor: This is “Portretten van Cleopatra en Marcus Antonius,” a 1710 engraving by Jan Goeree, here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s really intriguing, almost like a coin or a commemorative plaque… the portraits feel so formal, and yet there's something slightly unsettling about their depiction. What catches your eye the most in this piece? Curator: Unsettling is a great word. It makes me wonder... what are we *supposed* to feel? Is this admiration or a cautionary tale, presented in the clean, classical lines so typical of the Baroque era? Those profiles of Cleopatra and Antony—rendered in such detail, yet so lifeless—strike me as deliberately ambiguous. Almost like those austere portrait medals you see of Roman emperors...but with something missing. A spark? Soul? Or, maybe, just humanity. What do *you* make of that Cupid figure down below, holding what looks like a victory wreath? Editor: Hmm, interesting. I hadn’t really considered that Cupid might be a little… foreboding. It adds a layer, definitely complicates the whole “triumph” narrative. I guess it's not as straightforward as it appears at first glance? Curator: Not at all! Think of Goeree working in the Dutch Republic, long after the actual Cleopatra and Antony. He’s not creating propaganda, he is engaging in a conversation with history… Maybe it's a question about the cost of ambition? About passion turned to folly? The serpent above also might point to Cleopatra's demise and the ultimate end of their rule, as does that small winged victory bearing a crown which will no doubt decorate only a grave... it has given me pause, making me consider if the "love conquers all" adage applies to this narrative. Editor: It definitely has shifted my perception. I came in thinking simple portraiture, now I’m thinking political commentary… layered with all these subtle visual cues. Thanks for that. Curator: And thanks for those first, crucial, gut reactions! The life of art is one long conversation, right?