Lukretia

The Support is made of beech wood consisting of three horizontally aligned and butt-joined planks. The dimensions (50.4 x 36.4 x 1.3 cm) belongs to the standart 'C' format. A 0.9-centimetre rebate runs along the edge on the back of the panel except on the bottom edge, from which we deduce that the panel was originally a centimetre or so taller.

The ground is white.

An underdrawing is not readily visible on the white ground. Occasional fragmentary lines may be accents or outlines executed during the painting pro?cess. Only the preliminary drawing for the dagger can be clearly identified where the edge of the blade is indicated by a line incised in the flesh paint employing a needle. Although infrared reflectography did not reveal an underlying drawing, this does not mean the painting was executed without a preliminary drawing to establish the composition. The underlying drawing may just have been a few lines in some dry medium like charcoal, black or red chalk that IR reflectography doesn’t pick up or only registers under certain conditions.

The painting is masterfully and efficiently executed. Cranach achieved the delicately nuanced modelling of the forms of the body by applying and mixing clear flesh tones, and using brown glazes and cold grey tones for the shadows. With the subtle plane modulation and monochrome black background, the pro?file outlines contrast with the drawing of the details. Cranach pays little atten?tion to the creases and folds of the dark red cloak. A thorough examination of the chain hanging from Lucretia’s neck reveals it is painted schematically, with little volume, although Cranach does exercise his sophisticated technical skill here. The chain of changing reflections of light, beautifully adapted to the forms

of the body, which in turn suggest depth, derives from the same constructive prin?ciple. Eyes, nose and mouth are expertly rendered with true economy of means, in line with Cranach’s habitual canon of forms. Her eyelids, barely modelled and par?tially obscured, have been highlighted with a clear outline. The lower part of the eye is practically not modelled, the shadow line being replaced by fine, precisely executed lashes. Details like the veil, the hair, the eyelashes and the precious stones ineluctably draw the attention of anyone looking at the painting.

Pink, black, red, brown, yellow and grey predominate in a painting executed with relatively few colours. Green is reserved for two precious stones in the necklace. Cranach draws the jewel on a reddish brown background with brown outlines and touches of yellow light, without the colours mixing. A similar reddish ochre tone applied to the jewellery is also used in the handle of the dagger and the hair; in other words, it is used to represent dif?ferent materials. With economy and technical skill, the artist creates a harmonious whole from the individual features of the work. His treatment of the details reveals an experi?enced hand. For example the red stones of the necklace are painted in prism shapes on a

black background with red opaque paint and subsequently glazed with a red lake.

The remarkable quality of the painting leaves no doubt that Cranach himself worked on this painting.

[Herrschaft, Heydenreich 2014, 101-105]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black drawing medium; brush (barely visible)

Type/Ductus:

- freehand schematic underdrawing (where visible)

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the contours (occasionally visible in the area of the hands) and indicate facial features (only visible on the lower lip); no representation of volume

Deviations:

- almost no adjustments were made during the painting process; changes (e. g. the direction in which the saints and the infant Christ are looking; Christ’s feet).

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

Comments:

- possibly with reference to a pre-existing design

- the outlines of the dagger appear to be incised

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich cda 2014]

In 2012 Albert Glatigny, from the Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique in Brussels, did further conservation work on the wood support, which involved filling numerous holes on the back of the panel with micropearls and replacing the wooden strips along the joins with balsa wood. In the lower right-hand corner balsa wood was also used to replace a missing fragment.

[Herrschaft, Heydenreich 2014, 107]

In 1996-1997, the daughter of the then owner of the painting, and a pupil of Javier Carrión’s, carried out a second restoration treatment, which gave definitive retouches to the figure. She probably also took the opportunity to apply a new Paraloid B72 varnish.

[Herrschaft, Heydenreich 2014, 107]

In his report Koepplin mentions a “reinforcement of the panel” on the back which was put in place to correct warping of the support and separation of the joint. The addition, applied by Javier Carrión in 1983, was later removed. Probably for the same reason the separated join was reglued and retouched. The glue for the panel reinforcement and insect holes was probably thickened with lead white. In the wood there are remnants of a white material not from the panel ground application.

[Herrschaft, Heydenreich 2014, 107]