Lucretia

Lucretia

Titles

Lucretia

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]

Lukrezia

[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]
[Posse 1942, 66, No. 113]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing, life-size, full-length, nude figure. Lucretia's body is shown from the front, whereas her face is inclined slightly to the right and she stares into the far distance. In her right, raised hand she holds the dagger pointed towards her breast. The tip is

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing, life-size, full-length, nude figure. Lucretia's body is shown from the front, whereas her face is inclined slightly to the right and she stares into the far distance. In her right, raised hand she holds the dagger pointed towards her breast. The tip is pointed down and has already injured her breast. She draws the end of the veil across her body with her left hand. It is so transparent that it does not even cover her vulva. In addition to the veil she wears a neckband and her hair is pinned up beneath the veil. The background is dark and neutral.

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

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]
[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]

Production date
after 1537

Production date

after 1537

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358] [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 172 x 64 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 172 x 64 cm

  • [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]

  • [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]

  • '6 Fuß x 4 Fuß 4 Zoll'

  • [Schuchardt 1851, 43, No. 233]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia lower part: inscribed with winged serpent (dropped wings)

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia lower part: inscribed with winged serpent (dropped wings)

  • [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]

  • [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]

  • [Posse 1942, 66, No. 113]

Owner
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Repository
painting not preserved
CDA ID
DE_SKD-Lost_1916-1
FR (1978) Nr.
FR358
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD-Lost_1916-1/

Connected Works

Judith
  • Judith, after 1537
  • DE_SKD-Lost_1916-2
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Provenance

  • 1595 recorded in the inventory of the Kunstkammer (Ducal art cabinet) Dresden
    [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 534]
  • in the mid 18. century it entered the Gemäldegalerie Dresden
    [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 134]
  • 13.02.1945 destroyed by fire during the air raid on Dresden
    [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 164]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 426
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Kolb 2005 A 119, 134, 148, 163, 164, 168 Fn. 23 Fig. 74
AuthorKarin Kolb
TitleCranach - Die Gemälde in Dresden und ihre Geschichte
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages112-173
Show Literature
Kolb 2005 C 534
AuthorKarin Kolb
TitleDokumentation zum Dresdener Cranach-Bestand
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages526-572
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
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 141, 142 No. 358 Fig. 358
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 418
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Show Literature
Bernhard, Rogner 1965 93
AuthorMarianne Bernhard, Klaus P. Rogner
TitleVerlorene Werke der Malerei. In Deutschland in der Zeit von 1939 bis 1945 zerstörte und verschollene Gemälde
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1965
Show Literature
Ebert 1963/1964 26
AuthorHans Ebert
TitleÜber die Rückgewinnung zeitweilig verschollener Werke der Dresdener Gemäldegalerie
JournalJahrbuch der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Issue4 (1963/1964)
Year of Publication1964
Pages25-44
Show Literature
Posse 1943 66 No. 112
AuthorHans Posse
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationVienna
IssueSecond edition
Year of Publication1943
Show Literature
Posse 1942 66 No. 112
AuthorHans Posse
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1942
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 82 289
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
Schuchardt 1851 C 43 233
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 painting of Lucretia was paired with a pendant of the same size depicting the jewish heroin Judith also nude. This painting was also destroyed in 1945.

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 141, No. 358]

[Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974, 418]

Schuchardt describes the pendant pair of Judith and Lucretia as belonging to the best of their genre and criticized the high hanging in the Dresden Galerie.

[Schuchardt 1851, Bd. II, 43, No. 233]

There is another life-size nude depiction of Lucretia in the Alte Pinakothek München (FR240).

[Herrschaft, cda 2010]

  • Lucretia, after 1537

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/DE_SKD-Lost_1916-1/ (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/DE_SKD-Lost_1916-1/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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