Cleopatra
Accounts have differed regarding Cleopatra's death since first recorded by Strabo in 7 BCE (1988). She took her own life after the suicide of Mark Antony while the two of them were in Alexandria being marched upon by Octavius, at the end of the Roman Civil War. It is generally agreed that she killed herself by inducing an asp to bite her, as is depicted here, though historian Christopher Schaefer argued that since the asp's venom paralyzes the parts of the body, beginning with the eyes, this could not have been the quick and pain-free method Cleopatra may have desired. In the fashion of many other martyrized figures, Cleopatra is shown dying through an extremely painful method, though with historical perspective, Giampietrino's image of Cleopatra's serene, satisfied expression takes on a double meaning of the asp's venom beginning to take effect.
Although this painting is a depiction of an event that includes death and suffering, Cleopatra's expression is startingly serene. Her figure is bathed in light, which lends a divine quality to a very violent action. While she is in the process of committing suicide, her nude body is on display to the viewer, and her gaze is turned away as if she is looking into the distance. This nude portrayal, as well as the placement of the asp on her bare breast, incorporates an element of pleasure and eroticism into the pain that she is obviously experiencing. The deference of her gaze and her calm expression do not elicit any conflict in looking. The viewer is able to engage with the underlying erotic expressions of the painting without engaging with the violent and painful action of it.
The bite of an asp would have caused Cleopatra to experience rapidly spreading acute pain, followed by edema and skin discoloration. Within a few hours of the bite hemorrhagic necrosis, the death of healthy cells, caused by excessive bleeding, likely occurred. Cleopatra's vision may also have become severely impaired due to blood vessel degradation in the eyes. Finally, the venom likely affected Cleopatra's glomerular structure, a network of capillaries located in the kidney aiding in the filtering of blood, which likely lead to her death from renal failure.