Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra
Herbert Gustave Schmalz, 1888
Queen Zenobia, in chains after Aurelian's victory, turns for a last look at Palmyra, the city whose empire challenged Rome.
About this work
Herbert Gustave Schmalz painted Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra in London in 1888. It shows Queen Zenobia in chains, turning for a final view of her city before her Roman captors take her away. Zenobia ruled the Palmyrene Empire in Syria in the third century AD. After her husband Odaenathus, king of Palmyra, was assassinated in 267, she held power as regent for their son Vaballathus, and in 270 she launched an invasion that brought most of the Roman East under her control, including Egypt. When the emperor Aurelian marched against her in 272, she declared her son emperor and took the title of empress, proclaiming Palmyra's independence from Rome. After heavy fighting she was besieged in her capital and captured in late 272. Aurelian sent her to Rome, where she spent the rest of her life. The scene draws on the Historia Augusta. The picture was shown at the New Gallery in London's Regent Street in 1888 and was bought for the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide in 1890. It is a large canvas, 183.4 × 153.6 cm, signed "Herbert Schmalz 1888". Schmalz (1856–1935), from Ryton near Newcastle, trained at the Royal Academy Schools.
Sources: Art Gallery of South Australia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia: Zenobia
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 3,316 × 4,001 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 22 × 26 in
- Sizes
- Small (17 × 20 in) · $100 · 195 ppi
Medium (20 × 24 in) · $150 · 166 ppi
Large (30 × 36 in) · $300 · 111 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra?
Here. Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (17 × 20 in) for $100, Medium (20 × 24 in) for $150 and Large (30 × 36 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra?
The file is 3,316 × 4,001 px. Medium (20 × 24 in) is the largest size that prints at 150 ppi or more (166 ppi), the sharpest choice for close viewing; Large (30 × 36 in) prints at 111 ppi, fine from a few feet away but softer up close.
Is it legal to print Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra?
Yes. Zenobia's Last Look on Palmyra is in the public domain: its copyright, if it ever had one, expired long ago. In the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999), so the image can be printed and sold freely.
