Lucretia

Lucretia

Title

Lucretia

[cda 2014]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Handwritten annotation D. Koepplin next to a picture in the Archive D. Koepplin]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a half-length nude figure wearing a coat. She looks at the viewer, her head inclined slightly to the left. Both hands grip the broad dagger at the bottom right edge of the painting, which she has turned on herself.

Lucretia wears a fur-trimmed coat, which

The painting depicts Lucretia as a half-length nude figure wearing a coat. She looks at the viewer, her head inclined slightly to the left. Both hands grip the broad dagger at the bottom right edge of the painting, which she has turned on herself.

Lucretia wears a fur-trimmed coat, which rests on her right shoulder. Beneath she has a transparent undergarment on. Her hair is pinned up with two curls either side of her face. A transparent veil covers her hair. She wears a necklace set with pearls and precious stones and a long linked chain as jewellery.

The background is dark.

According to the legend Lucretia lived in the 6th century BC and was the beautiful and virtuous wife of the roman Collatinus. The roman King's son - Sextus Tarquinius fell in love with her. During a stay in her house Sextus threatened to kill her and shame her honour if she did not surrender to him. After the rape Lucretia had her father and husband vow vengeance and then she stabbed herself. The event led to an uprising in which the royal family was overthrown and the Roman Empire became a Republic.

Depictions of Lucretia who was seen as the epitomy of female virtue, chastity, fidelity and honour enjoyed great popularity, particularly in the 16th century.

[Literature: Bierende 2002, Follak 2002, Livius 1909]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger

'Eher Lucas Cranach der Jüngere'
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, no. 358C]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Caption under a picture; Koepplin Archive]

Production dates
about 1540 - 1545
after 1537

Production dates

about 1540 - 1545

[cda 2014]

after 1537

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, No. 358C]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 74 x 49 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 74 x 49 cm

  • [Handwritten by D. Koepplin next to a picture; Koepplin Archive]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the left edge: serpent (with dropped wings)

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the left edge: serpent (with dropped wings)

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P066
FR (1978) Nr.
FR358C
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P066/

Provenance

  • 12.06.1918 auction collection Mallmann at Lepke, Berlin, no. 56
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, no. 358C]

  • 30.10. (year unknown) Galerie Koller, Zurich, No. 2881(?)

  • 1971 Galerie Fischer, Luzern, auction 207, No. 332 (?)
    [Handwritten annotation D. Koepplin next to a picture in the Archive D. Koepplin]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 142 No. 358C
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Weltkunst 1971 Fig. p. 692
Authorn. a.
Titlem n. t.
JournalWeltkunst: Zeitschrift für Kunst und Antiquitäten
Year of Publication1971
Weltkunst 1970 1244
Authorn. a.
Titlen. t.
JournalWeltkunst: Zeitschrift für Kunst und Antiquitäten
Year of Publication1970
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 289i
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Auct. Cat. Berlin 1918 A 27 056 Pl. 59
EditorRudolph Lepke's Kunst-Auctions-Haus
TitleGalerie Ritter Gaston von Mallmann, Berlin (Band 1): Gemälde alter Meister aller Schulen: Versteigerung: 12. Juni 1918 (Katalog Nr. 1808)
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1918
Link https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/lepke1918_06_12bd1/0005

Research History / Discussion

This painting is one of few known depictions of Lucretia holding the dagger in both hands attributed to the Cranach workshop. The pose evolved about 1540 and is very similar to the Lucretia in the Israel Museum generally attributed to Cranach the Elder. The clothes and the jewellery on the other hand correspond more to the Lucretia's created by Cranach the Younger between 1540 and 1545.

[Herrschaft, cda 2014]

  • Lucretia, about 1540 - 1545

Images

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Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Lucretia', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P066/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Lucretia', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P066/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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