According to legend, Mark Antony, the Roman statesman, was invited to a sumptuous banquet by Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. The drawing portrays the legendary moment when, in response to Antony’s expression of surprise at the magnificence of the banquet,  Cleopatra removed a priceless pearl earring, and dissolved it in her goblet of wine which she then drank, showing with this extravagant gesture her disdain for her riches.  

The drawing style and poses of Anthony and Cleopatra are strongly reminiscent of drawings by and attributed to the artist depicting mythological and legendary themes (see Retrospektive Angelika Kauffmann, ed. B. Baumgärtel, Exhib. Cat., 1999, Cat. Nos. 64 – 66). Our drawing is of the same oval format as The Banquet of Dido and Aeneas by Antonio Zucchi dated to 1770,  a preparatory drawing for the ceiling panel at Ham House, Richmond, of the same date.