Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Simonetta Vespucci as Cleopatra
Creator: Piero di Cosimo, painter
Description: Simonetta Vespucci, the mistress of Giuliano de Medici, is here portrayed as Cleopatra. She wears only an eastern-style blanket around her shoulders, exposing her breasts and revealing an asp coiled around her neck into a necklace. Her hair is braided and styled elaborately and is decorated with ribbons and pearls. Simonetta's beauty was considered the humanist ideal and her likeness was portrayed by artists long after her death; Piero di Cosimo was only 8 years old when she died. The inscription below was added at a later date.
Source: WikiMedia Commons
Rights: Public domain
Subject (See Also): Classical Influences Cleopatra, Ancient Queen Profile Portraits Vespucci, Simonetta, Mistress of Giuliano de' Medici
Geographic Area: Italy
Century: 15
Date: ca. 1480
Related Work:
Current Location: Chantilly, Musée Condé
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Paintings
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Panel paintings; Tempera
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): 57cm/42cm/
Inscription: Simonetta Ianuensis Vespuccia
Related Resources: Vespucci. Jimenez, Jill Berk. Dictionary of Artists' Models. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 2001.