The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-07

I almost immediately appreciated by the
 world, were forced to put their Cleopatra | in pawn, and died before they redeemed | her.
 | Their heirs were equally poor. The | pawn ticket and all the rights of the Micheli were sold to a friend of the Baron de Benneval, who bought 1t from the usurers for very large sum. The | barons friends found in his turn that he could not afford to keep it. Cleopatra even 1900 years after her death proved
 to be an expensive luxury. So he sold to the baron, who has not parted with
 his title.
 Since that date, the picture has been exhibited in London, Paris, Munich and Rome. At Munich, M. Platter, the well
 known restorer of King Ludwig's collec- tion of Greek and Etruscan vases, pur- chased from the Prince of Casino, being
 very enthusiastic over the picture, under took to place 1t on an under bed of a pe- cular cement, which has rendered 1t so secure that since then it may be trans- ported from place to place with safety. Louis Napoleon on the eve of the Franco I Prussian war, made an offer for 1t, which was about to be reluctantly accepted. But
 the battle of Forbach stopped the progress
 north of the precious tile, and the Sor-
 rento Villa is proud still to claim it. While not painted from life, the En- caustic Cleopatra was undoubtedly done shortly after the great Queens death by the master heart of one who had, in all probability. known her face to face, and knew her style and beauty by reputation as well, for example, as New York artist who had never seen Eugenie, could construct an ideally exact portrait of her from current photographs and paintings and gossip. All the indications point to it's date as 20 B. C.
 The last Queen of the Ptolemies Is rep resented with their famous crown on her head, splendid jewels on her neck and in her ears, and on her arms bracelets similar to those found by Dr. Schliemann in the tomb of Helen of Troy, her proto-
 type. Each of these details is closely brought out in its own colors in the en-
 caustic surface, by process. be it not forgotten, which Is now a Host art" A red mantle gathered in a knot on each shoulder covers her right breast but the left is exposed to the bite of the asp, or, rather, the naja, a small serpent native to Africa.
 These small cars'' says Sartain '1n- dicate where the reptile has already bit- ten. and 1t is in the act of again insert ing it's fangs. The expression of grief and pain is well rendered in the face, her tongue is pressed forward against the slightly opened teeth, the upper lip lifted
 the lower lip droops. The pupils of the eyes raised until half concealed by the upper lids, the escaping tears. the nose drawn and narrowed above the nostrils- express forcibly the mental and bodily anguish of the Queen.
 ''The rich attire In which the picture represents her is in accordance with the facts of her death, for it Is known she caused herself to be arrayed in royal robes, and every personal adornment in order to meet her end right royalty; and thus she was found after death. I have now only to relate what happens to have been the origin of the picture. and how it came to the place where 1t was found
 Augustus Caesar being deprived of the presence of Cleopatra in person to grace his triumph. the queen having evaded that humiliating exposure by suicide. de- cided on having at least a reproduction of her. It is on record that picture was painted for this purpose and was borne on a car or litter near his own, along with other objects of Egyptian interest anf of great value; taken from the monument in which she died; since it was thus carried on the attendant car 1t was obviously tablet picture. After it had served this use, he placed 1t as an offering in the temple of Saturn at Rome There can le little doubt that this is the Sorrento picture,
 Marvellous as it may seem. the authen- ticity Of encaustic Cleopatra was oues-