𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖑𝖊𝖔𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖗𝖆

“The Death of Cleopatra” was painted by Juan Luna, a Filipino artist. He was born  in the town of Badoc, Ilocos Norte in 1857 in the Philippines. He was the third son  in the family among the seven children of Joaquín Luna de San Pedro y Posadas  and Laureana Novicio y Ancheta. He excelled in both painting and drawing. He  was influenced by his elder brother Manuel N. Luna, that even the Filipino patriot  Jose Rizal said that he was better than Juan himself. He studied in Ateneo  Municipal and was also transferred to Escuela Nautica de Manila. He painted  “The Death of Cleopatra” in the year of 1881. The “La Muerte de Cleopatra '' also  known as “The Death of Cleopatra” is all about how the last Pharaoh of  Egypt, Cleopatra died after all the efforts she poured in. Cleopatra was not  ethnically Egyptian however, despite this, she embraced many of her country’s  ancient customs thus, she became the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn  the Egyptian language. 

She was a product of incest, thus he married her brothers to maintain the purity of their bloodline. She wasn’t ugly nor beautiful, her appearance or let's just say her ‘beauty’ is “incomparable” that made it “irresistible” charm of hers make her so desirable. Therefore her biggest assets relies entirely from her sex appeal and  used it as her political weapon. She used her intelligence to gather potential allies  and reinforcement, thus she made a woo entrance — at that time, Julius Caesar  had just arrived from the Alessandria, Cleopatra had herself lay in the carpet and   sneak to his personal quarters. Wearing white thin garments, laying there, and  staring to Julius Caesar intimately — she was ndeed irresistible thus, Julius Caesar,  stare at her with an awe and finally falls into her trap. She and Caesar are both  entangled then eventually become allies and lovers. She used this stagecraft to  Mark Antony too. Just like how Julius Caesar falls in her palms, the result was the  same — Mark Antony was enchanted by the sight of Cleopatra. The two of them  got married and she gave birth to three children however, this was news like a  volcano that erupts suddenly that shook the entire Rome. Antony’s rival, named  Octavian, used his scandal to brand him as a “traitor” thus, Mark Antony and  Cleopatra were forced to flee in Egypt because their reinforcement can’t beat  Octavian’s army. 

The cause of their death is suicide. It somehow resembles the death of Romeo  and Juliet and quite not. Antony was informed that his lover — Cleopatra is dead  so then he stabbed himself with his sword but just before he breathed his last  breath, a messenger suddenly arrived with the news that Cleopatra was alive.  August 1, 30 BC, he was brought to die in Cleopatras’s arms. She didn’t give up,  and first resolved by seducing the triumphant Roman however, her attempt to seduce him didn’t work — she was rejected and resisted. Cleopatra, finally resolve  to suicide but her death was uncertain — whether she died from “asp” an  Egyptian cobra to bite her arms or secrete a poisonous comb. With this  knowledge, scholars had a hunch that she used a pin that is dipped in snake  venom. 

This contemporary art created by Juan Luna, was done by oil painting, the  materials are oil paint, brush, painting colors, and a canvas. The “La Muerte de  Cleopatra” in 1881 painting contest was his first exposition and because of the  exposure he got a scholarship from Ayuntamiento de Manila. What inspired him  to paint “La Muerte de Cleopatra” was unknown however, it is most likely to show  how and what will the humans do in a desperate situation like Cleopatra. How will  they manage the situation, what will you feel, or did you ever regret the things  you did. Nevertheless, in my eyes this painting and the story behind it was a pitiful  yet beautiful and pretty yet unpleasant painting. It depicts how ones’ struggle to  the top, deceiving and using people as she pleases, being greedy and the loop  of betrayal. Those are the negative sides of the four corners of “La Muerte de  Cleopatra”. The bright side of this painting depicts how strong women are and  how women can adapt, learn, and make it their assets to survive in a rough  situation. 

Amidst this pandemic, no one can be at ease, worries will linger to our ears, fears  and sadness will crawl to our mind, like how a snake venom spreads to our body  and eventually cuts our breaths. Looking at this art, it just make one’s perhaps  myself, wonder why it is named “La Muerte de Cleopatra” when the star of the  painting will end up in such tragic situation, however it makes me feel at ease  somehow that she died, and thankful that I wasn’t born in her era, I know how  weak I am, I can’t bare to carry this heavy responsibility she has, I can’t marry  someone with the same blood as mine nor be remarried again. If I am to love  someone, I won’t ever dare to look for another beauty let alone use them as my  pawns. My capabilities and hers are different, if she can do cruel things, well I  can’t, the pain of being betrayed and used will haunt me even if I’m dead.  Everytime my eyes gaze at this painting, a different emotion will linger in my whole  being. Her situation was hard and she doesn’t have any means to survive if she  won’t do what she has done. In addition, I was happy that I didn't do what she  did in her last breath, however, there are times that I almost do. 

In modern world like ours, it may or may not help to shape the world we are in  now, but if they just pay attention to this kind of art, it’ll be reveal and teach how  one, should know that no matter how high you climb, you’ll still fall from the  deepest of the dark blue abyss, unable to get up or just like a flower, despite of  being a beautiful it will still withers and be blown by the wind. Shaping the modern  world, easier said than done, if one can’t shape it right then how can a painting  dare? It wasn’t easy nor hard, it just depends on the eye of the beholder and  what will s/he do after seeing it. 

References: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DUxW2d_-YE 

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cleopatra-commits-suicide https://mabuhay.philippineairlines.com/juan-luna-the-death-of-cleopatra-in-singapore/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Luna 

https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/705/today-in-philippine-history october-23-1857-juan-luna-was-born-in-badoc-ilocos-norte