A woman sits with a perplexed expression. Her eyes and an open mouth feel as if she wants to communicate her fear. With her left hand, she holds the end of her long hair, while on the right, she holds a pair of scissors. Her revealing bosom and her red skirt do signify her passionate personality. Behind her rests a war helmet with plumage, signifying the presence of a man behind her expression.
According to history, the woman portrayed is Queen Berenice II of Egypt, who was so in love with her husband King Ptolemy III that she offered her strands of hair to the goddess Aphrodite in return for his safe return from the battle. The lock of hair is said to vanish as soon as it is offered, thus giving rise to the constellation Coma Berenices. It is said to be a perfect allegory to marital devotion, a wife who awaits her husband’s return by sacrificing a piece of her beauty.
The painting is attributed to Bernardo Strozzi of Italy. His technique of using chiaroscuro to highlight the figure over a dark background provides a dramatic effect to the painting. The work is painted in a Baroque style with a rich colour palette.
Berenice is the pure image of devotion and love. Of a love sacred to sacrifice the beauty for safety of her lover. The lighting and darkness enhances this effect and makes us feel moved by her determination to make sure her husband returns safely.
