Page 57 - B-ALL 54 ENG

A beauty queen with milk baths, an ultra-sophisticated fashion muse, an
advertising brand, her modern figure is everywhere. Her popular and glamorous
image too often overshadows her fierce will to submit in a world dominated by
men, to the point of preferring death rather than surrender. This is why some
voices are rising to uncover the truth buried beneath the myth, to make her an icon
of identity and emancipation struggles at a time when women are so often and
unbearably flouted, tortured, imprisoned, killed, ignored, mocked, and rendered
invisible.
In Egypt, she symbolizes resistance to British colonialism (1882-1956), while in
the United States, she is a source of pride for the African-American community,
particularly in the anti-slavery struggle during the American Civil War (1861-
1865).
Cleopatra, the most famous woman in history, is a truly timeless
symbol of assertive, cultured, intelligent femininity
whose power cannot be challenged.
Earring in the form of Eros-Harpocrates
1st century BC
Gold, solid cast
3.9 x 2.7 x 1.3 cm
Switzerland, Geneva, Fondation Gandur pour l’Art, FGA-ARCH-GR-0087