![Guido Cagnacci - The Death of Cleopatra [1658]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7600/16986126032_93708d670a_o.jpg)
In 1628, at which time he was living in Rimini with his family, Cagnacci attempted to elope with a widowed noblewoman, Teodora Stivivi, intending to force her family to consent to their marriage. The attempt was a failure but had long-lasting repercussions that affected the course of his career. He was obliged to leave Rimini for a while but returned in 1631 and painted some important works, characterised by a dramatic chiaroscuro that suggests direct contact with the followers of Caravaggio in Rome.
[Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna - Oil on canvas, 140 x 159.5 cm]