Cleopatra’s Banquet
Who could throw the most lavish banquet? This was the bet between the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra and the Roman general Mark Antony. Cleopatra won the wager by dissolving a pearl in vinegar and then drinking the mixture. In this painting, she is just
removing her earring. De Lairesse painted this story like a scene from a play, with antique costumes and classical architecture.