New research published today debunks the myth of the fabled beauty of Cleopatra - and on Valentine's Day too (or was that canny timing on behalf of Newcastle University?) Analysis of a recently found and well-preserved coin shows a rather plainer profile than we'd come to imagine - large nose, well we expected that, and a rather sharp chin. So, just for the hell of it, here's a quick reminder of some of the ways Cleopatra has been portrayed in art and the myth perpetuated:
Top: Cleopatra portrayed on film by Elizabeth Taylor (1963) and Theda Barr (1917).
Second: Modern papyrus by Kom Ombo and Mosè Bianche's 1865 version.
Third: Detail from Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners by Alexandre Cabanel (1887).
Fourth: The Death of Cleopatra by Hans Makart (1875).
Bottom: The Death of Cleopatra by Jean Rixens (1874).
Photographs: Allstar/Cinetext; Fox Films/The Kobal Collection; the Art Archive; and AP/Fabian Bimmer.
