The Suicide of Lucretia

The Suicide of Lucretia

Titles

The Suicide of Lucretia

[CDA 2010]

Lucretia

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240]

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

Medium

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2010]
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a life-size, full-length standing nude figure.

Lucretia's body is turned slightly to the left, but her face and gaze are directed at the viewer. In her right, raised hand she holds a dagger, which touches her right breast. She pulls the end of her veil across

The painting depicts Lucretia as a life-size, full-length standing nude figure.

Lucretia's body is turned slightly to the left, but her face and gaze are directed at the viewer. In her right, raised hand she holds a dagger, which touches her right breast. She pulls the end of her veil across her body with her left hand. It is however so transparent that it does not hide her vulva. Under the veil her hair hangs down loosely in curls. She wears a neckband and a thick chain around her neck.

The background is dark and neutral, but Lucretia stands on stony ground.

[cp. Goldberg 1983, 165]

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]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2010]

Production dates
about 1530
1524

Production dates

about 1530

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978, No. 240]

1524

[Cat. Kgl. Ältere Pinakothek 1904, 64, No. 271]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 194 x 75 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 194 x 75 cm

  • [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2010]

  • 6 feet x 2 feet

  • [Schuchardt 1851, Bd.II, 96, No. 357]

Signature / Dating

Artist' insignia on the bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist' insignia on the bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings

  • [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2009]

  • [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240]

Owner
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
Repository
Alte Pinakothek, Munich
Location
Munich
CDA ID
DE_BStGS_691
FR (1978) Nr.
FR240
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS_691/

Provenance

  • probably acquired by Maximilian I. (Elector of Bavaria) in 1608 from his brother Ferdinand (Coadjutor of Cologne)
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240]
    [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2009]
  • 1641 recorded in the inventory of Maximilian I's Kunstkammer (ducal art cabinet)
    [Goldberg 1983, 165]
  • Kurfürstliche Galerie in Munich
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240]
    [Cat. Munich 1957, 26, No. 691]
  • Alte Pinakothek, ground floor, room XIII
    [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2009]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011 120-121, 147 Nos. 26, 691 Fig. p. 121
AuthorMartin Schawe
EditorBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
TitleCranach in Bayern
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Rome 2010 Fig. p. 95
EditorGalleria Borghese, Rome, Anna Coliva, Bernard Aikema
TitleCranach. L'altro rinascimento / a different renaissance, [Rome, Galleria Borghese 15 ottobre 2010 - 13 febbraio 2011]
Place of PublicationMilan
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Hinz 2010 A 92 Fig. 6, p. 95
AuthorBerthold Hinz
TitleLucas Cranach/ Andrea del Brescianino: Venere tedesca vs. Venere italiana; Lucas Cranach / Andrea del Brescianino: a German Venus vs. an italian Venus
Publicationin Anna Coliva, Bernhard Aikema, eds., Cranach l'altro rinascimento, a different Renaissance, Exhib. Cat. Rome
Place of PublicationMilan
Year of Publication2010
Pages86 - 97
Show Literature
Schade 2009 81
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleBollandt als Nachbildner Cranachs
Publicationin Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Petri-St. Marien, eds., Cranach und die Kunst der Renaissance unter den Hohenzollern: Kirche, Hof und Stadtkultur Exhib. Cat. Berlin
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2009
Pages80-85
Show Literature
Bierende 2002
AuthorEdgar Bierende
TitleLucas Cranach d.Ä. und der deutsche Humanismus. Tafelmalerei im Kontext von Rhetorik, Chroniken und Fürstenspiegeln
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2002
Show Literature
Follak 2002
AuthorJan Follak
TitleLucretia zwischen positiver und negativer Anthropologie: Coluccio Salutatis Declamatio Lucretie und die Menschenbilder im exemplum der Lucretia von der Antike bis in die Neuzeit
Place of PublicationKonstanz
Year of Publication2002
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-opus-9144
Show Literature
Goldberg 1983 A 151-192
AuthorGisela Goldberg
TitleVeränderungen von Bildern der ersten Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts. Versuch einer Interpretation
JournalStädel-Jahrbuch
IssueN.F. 9
Year of Publication1983
Pages151-175
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 118 No. 240 Fig. 240
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Munich 1957 26 No. 691 Fig. 42
EditorAlte Pinakothek, München, Ernst Buchner
TitleAlte Pinakothek München. Kurzes Verzeichnis der Bilder. Amtliche Ausgabe
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1957
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 66 198
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
Show Literature
Cat. Munich 1904 26 No. 691 Fig. 42
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog der Gemäldesammlung der Kgl. Älteren Pinakothek in München. Mit einer historischen Einleitung von Franz von Reber
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1904
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 96-97 357
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The dating '1524' (in the Catalogue Kgl. Altere Pinakothek 1904) was added in 17. century and has been removed in 1919.

[Goldberg 1983, 165]

Schuchardt remarked on the unusual form and colour of the robe as early as 1851, but described the head and pose of the figure as typical of Cranach. However he did not consider that this condition was due to later overpaint, but rather the influence of italian painting, in particular Titian. Schuchardt welcomed this approach by emphasizing the quality of the painting.

[Schuchardt 1851, Bd. II, 96, No. 357]

In the 17th century this painting was already overpainted and hung in Maximillian I's art cabinet in front of a nude Lucretia by Dürer, which it concealed. In 1919 the overpaint was removed.

[Goldberg 1983, 165]

  • The Suicide of Lucretia, about 1530

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Documents

Technical studies

19.08.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

  • analysed by Peter Klein

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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Entry with no author
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