The famous work about pearls - "Cleopatra's Banquet"
The painting tells the story of a famous contest between the rulers of Egypt and Rome, in which Cleopatra bet that she could host a more lavish feast than Mark Antony's legendary extravaganza. Tiepolo's painting shows Cleopatra's dramatic moment at the end of a sumptuous dinner, when she wins the bet with her trump card in the face of a still-scornful Mark Antony. Cleopatra took off one of a pair of priceless pearls she wore as earrings, dissolved the pearl in a cup of vinegar and drank it - an extravagance that caused Mark Antony to lose a bet.
"Cleopatra's Banquet" / Tiepolo / 1744 / National Gallery of Victoria
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