Painting Cleopatra - a watercolour speedpaint

The Queen, the legend, the ruler... well one of, of Egypt in the time of the Ancients. Famously tale has it she was assassinated by way of a snake bite in her bedroom. Seems to me like Medusa may have stowed the key for a rainy night in a ploy to take over rule, is that so farfetched?

I think we all have a natural affinity towards the Egyptians and their way of life before Christ, sort of like we all have ancestors from those times. Their artwork was uniform and encompassed an almost stenciled style. It is said each artist to carve out tales of glory and memorable moments of the royal in question’s tomb, was to follow a very particular style and that all pictographs were to remain the same, which is why ancient Egyptian art is so quickly and easily recognisable across the board. You don’t see any Monet or Rembrandt style pieces on those forever buried and solidary walls of history.

I imagine what Cleopatra would be like in today’s world, I’m sure she would make it to administer a self-made tourniquet and get to the hospital in time to stop the venom from pulsing throughout her heart and therefore extending her rule. Then again, I’m sure assassination would be administered in some other sort of high-tech form.

I’ve done this painting in watercolour and tried to use a generous amount of blue because colours like blue and purple were worn by the royals as the pigments were quite difficult to procure. I have done this one again in acrylic, it's a completely different feel and I think she's missing her Egyptian charm which she has in the watercolour, almost like mother on the right, daughter on the left.

** Ancient stuffing

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