Jacob von Sandrart Copperplate engraving of Cleopatra's Death

Jacob von Sandrart ( German,1606-1688) The Death Of Cleopatra. Dimensions: Whole sheet: 37.8 cm x 24.4 cm. Inclusive frame: 46 x 31 cm. Description: Copper plate engraving Signed (Rauchmüller inv. et del. / Sandrart fecit). Engraved by Jacob von Sandrart after a drawing by Mathias Rauchmiller ( 1645-1686). Inspired by Daniel Casper von Lohenstein 's (1635–1683) tragedy "Cleopatra" was first performed in 1661. The engraving is mentioned in Mathias Rauchmiller biography and depicts Cleopatra's suicide with poisonous snakes; in the background is the statue of Isis/Diana that gives the allusion to the Isis cult in Egypt. Below the engraving is an old handwritten German text, explaining the details of the engraving and biography of Jacob von Sandrart. A rare work and a collectors dream.