Kleopatra, det nakna bröstet & ormen. : En tematisk studie av italienska målningar från 1600-talet

Sammanfattning: This thematic study covers a selection of paintings with origins from Italy during the17th century, all of them depicting Cleopatra as she dies with her breast revealed while holding a snake. A curiosity regarding which role the breast plays in Cleopatra’s story is the motivator of this essay, and to understand the symbolic relations between the breast, snake and the woman. In order to understand the interaction between the three signs question A and B are created:  A)  What does the breast symbolize? What does the snake symbolize? What does the woman symbolize? What does the breast, sake and woman symbolize together?  B)  Is it possible to rationalize from the paintings which role Cleopatra played in the 17th century’s art of Italy? This essay is based on a semiotic picture-analysis in which the material consists of 8 different paintings from Italy during the 17th century with their common motive of Cleopatra in her death scene. It begins with a basic iconological picture-analysis of the paintings in which their common visible signs are analysed in a semiotic picture-analysis. Following this, theory based on feminism, orientalism and egyptology is applied to discuss the meaning of the breast, snake and woman.