Cleópatra do Museu D. João VI: a trajetória de uma obra

Abstract

Our intention in this dissertation is to research the trajectory of the painting Cleopatra that belonged to Le Gros Collection until 1859; moving to Academia Imperial de Belas Artes (Imperial Academy of Fine Arts) in 1860, by purchase or donation, integrating the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes and finally being destined to the collection Museum D. João VI, having as incorporation date of the year 1979. We argue the possibility of this work being a copy using a model based on Genoese artist Bartolomeo Biscaino (1632-1657) from the comparison of some of his paintings with the work in question. Here it will also be discussed how the Italian art of the seventeenth century represented and idealized character Cleopatra. Likewise it will be analyzed the possible function of the Cleopatra painting within the Academia Imperial de Belas Arters (AIBA) in Rio de Janeiro. By having the canvas belonged to the private collection of the J.G. Le Gros (João Guilherme Le Gros or Legros), and integrated the catalog of Exposições Gerais de Belas Artes (EGBA) from 1859, 1860, 1863, 1866, 1889, 1890, 1891 and the Pequeno Catálogo de Bens da ENBA de 1957, we will research the history of this collector and the practice of collecting in Rio de Janeiro in nineteenth century. We will also do an analysis of his collection in order to understand his taste for art.