Lucretia

Titles

Lucretia	[http://kokoelmat.fng.fi/wandora/;13.02.2011]
Lucrezia	[Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988, No. 4]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Klein, Report 1993]
[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]
[Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988, No. 4]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing three-quarter length figure with an overcoat and a view of a landscape in the background.

Her face is inclined slightly to the left expressing sufferance and she stares into the far distance. In her right hand she holds a long dagger pointed against

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing three-quarter length figure with an overcoat and a view of a landscape in the background.

Her face is inclined slightly to the left expressing sufferance and she stares into the far distance. In her right hand she holds a long dagger pointed against her breast and in her left hand she elegantly holds the transparent veil. It is wrapped around her waist covering her vulva, but it doesn't hide it because it is transparent. In addition there is a dark red overcoat draped around her as if it had just slipped off her shoulders. She wears a heavy chain and a neckband and her hair is pinned up under a net bonnet decorated with pearls. The background is dark, but a window on the left indicates that she is standing in a room. From the window there is a view into a mountainous landscape with a small town.

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 Lucretica 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

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]
[Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988, No. 4]
[http://kokoelmat.fng.fi/wandora/;13.02.2011]

Production date: 1530

Production date

1530

[ dated]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 38 x 24.5 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 38 x 24.5 cm
[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]
[Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988, No. 4]
[http://kokoelmat.fng.fi/wandora/;13.02.2011]

Signature / Dating: Artist`s insignia left edge, underneath the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'

Signature / Dating

Artist`s insignia left edge, underneath the window: winged serpent (with elevated wings) and date '1530'
[Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988, No. 4]
[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Owner: Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki
Repository: Sinebrychoffin Taidemuseo, Helsinki
Location: Helsinki

CDA ID: FIN_FNG_S-1994-224
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/FIN_FNG_S-1994-224/

Provenance

at the end of the 18th century it was possibly in a private collection in Finland
later acquired by another finnish collector
[Tuurnala et al. 1991, pp. 63-72]

Exhibitions

Helsinki 1988 - 1989, No. 4

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Coburg 2018

36, 100, fn. 5, 103, 142

under nos. 2, 17

Author	Klaus Weschenfelder
Title	Cranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of Publication	Regensburg
Year of Publication	2018

Show Literature

Bierende 2002

Author	Edgar Bierende
Title	Lucas Cranach d.Ä. und der deutsche Humanismus. Tafelmalerei im Kontext von Rhetorik, Chroniken und Fürstenspiegeln
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	2002

Show Literature

Follak 2002

Author	Jan Follak
Title	Lucretia 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 Publication	Konstanz
Year of Publication	2002
Link	http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-opus-9144

Show Literature

Klein 1994 A

199

Tab. 8

Author	Peter Klein
Title	Lucas Cranach und seine Werkstatt. Holzarten und dendrochronologische Analyse
Publication	in Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds.,Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
Series	Veröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume	26
Place of Publication	Augsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication	1994
Pages	194-200

Show Literature

Tuurnala et al. 1991

63-72

Author	T. Tuurnala, A. Hautojärvi, Sirka Nurminen
Title	A factory of beautiful pictures? A physical study of three paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Journal	Revue des archéologues et historiens d'art de Louvain
Issue	24
Year of Publication	1991
Pages	63-72

Show Literature

Exhib. Cat. Helsinki 1988

No. 4

Author	Sinebrychofes Konstmuseum, Helsinki
Editor	Sirka Nurminen, Dan Holm
Title	Lucas Cranach vanh
Place of Publication	Helsinki
Year of Publication	1988

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

This depiction of Lucretia is almost identical with in the painting FR 240Q in the collection of the Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin. A Lucretia in a private collection is also very similar (FR240K).

[Herrschaft, cda 2011]

Lucretia, 1530

Images

Technical studies

08. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

An underdrawing is not readily visible.

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2016]

photographed by Sinebrychofes Konstmuseum, Helsinki

08. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

X-radiography

created by Sinebrychofes Konstmuseum, Helsinki

18.01.1993Scientific analysis

/ Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: beech wood

Plank I: 155 annual rings, 1523 - 1369

The panel is from the same tree as planks from the linked panels; the youngest annual ring from all the panels is from 1524; therefore the earliest felling date is 1524; following a two year seasoning period the panel could not have been used before 1526

[Klein report, 18.01.1993

analysed by Peter Klein

1991Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

- an underdrawing is not visible

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

1991Technical examination / Scientific analysis

X-radiography

'On the basis of a comparison with the radiograph, no changes by the artist can be observed. Also no underdrawing is visible with IR.'

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Bearbeiter/in Jana Herrschaft

1991Naturwissenschaftliche Materialanalyse

Micro-sampling / cross-sections
Instrumental material analysis

PIXE /PIGME:

Pigment analysis by PIXE/PIGME giving following results:

Filling material of the ground is pure chalk. Probably a thin lead white imprimatura is above.

The yellow pigment is lead tin yellow.

The earth pigments contain some iron-titanium compound as an impurity.

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Bearbeiter/in Jana Herrschaft

1991Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Ground and Imprimatura

'The gesso primer does not extend right to the edge of the panel, which means that the panel has been fixed to working or actual frame during painting.'

Underdrawing

'IR analyses failed to reveal any sketches.'

Paint Layers and Gilding

'The paint layer does not extend right to the edge of the panel like the ground.

The brush technique used in this painting is very fine and no brushstrokes are visible. Most colours have been pre-mixed on a palette with ground fine pigments. A multi-layer technique has been used to a certain extent. The paint layers though mainly thin still give full covering, albeit in certain areas they are also transparent. Impasto has been found on the jewellery and decoration areas.'

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Condition Reports

Date1991

'Aging has caused craquelure, especially in the skin areas.'

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Conservation History

Date1991

'The painting has been restored only slightly. The upper edge of the sky has been restored and hairs have been painted on the fur at a later stage.'

[Tuurnala et al. 1991, 63-72]

Support made from the same tree

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/FIN_FNG_S-1994-224/ (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/FIN_FNG_S-1994-224/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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