Design for a Sword or Dagger Handle with the Suicide of Cleopatra 1592 - 1593

This is Theodor de Bry's 'Design for a Sword or Dagger Handle with the Suicide of Cleopatra', an engraving made in the late 16th century. Here, the artist connects ideas of classical antiquity and rebirth, through the story of Cleopatra, to the decorative arts of the Renaissance. The image creates meaning through classical visual codes, cultural references and historical associations. This design reflects the values of European courts, who prized both beautiful craftsmanship and the stories of the ancient world. The choice of Cleopatra’s death could be a comment on the social structures of the time. Her suicide, rather than surrender to Roman authority, would have been seen as an honorable and powerful act. Historical research into these designs can tell us much about the courts and workshops that produced them. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.