[3] The painting, one of only three pieces by Filipino artists on permanent display at the Prado,[4] is notable both for its composition and its history.

Cleopatra herself is bejeweled and dressed in a manner befitting that of an Egyptian queen,[9] and smoke coming from a nearby lamp, said to contain incense,[9] hovering above her body signifies that she had died,[10] giving the piece a mysterious aura.

[9] Meanwhile, the asp that reportedly caused Cleopatra's death is seen by the foot of one of the room's columns,[9] barely visible as it slithers away.

[8] Luna first began work on The Death of Cleopatra in his then-studio on Via Margutta in Rome, where he had lived since moving to the city in 1878 with his master, Alejo Vera.

[15] As Luna's "graduation work", The Death of Cleopatra was acquired by the Spanish government[16] for one thousand duros.