Lucretia

Title

Lucretia

[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing, half-length nude figure with an overcoat.

Lucretia has inclined her head slightly to the right and she stares into the far distance. Her left arm is raised and with her hand she touches her hair. Her right hand points the dagger almost

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing, half-length nude figure with an overcoat.

Lucretia has inclined her head slightly to the right and she stares into the far distance. Her left arm is raised and with her hand she touches her hair. Her right hand points the dagger almost horizontal and touches a point between her breasts.

Lucretia wears an embroidered fur-trimmed overcoat. Beneath this a transparent undergarment is visible. Her blond hair is pinned up and covered with transparent veil. She wears numerous pieces of jewellery: a long thick chain, two shorter thin chains, a chain necklace, a bracelet and three rings.

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 Elder or the Younger
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder or the Younger	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, No. 358B]
Lucas Cranach the Younger	[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

Production dates: about 1540 - 1545
after 1537

Production dates

about 1540 - 1545	[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]
after 1537	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, No. 358B]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 76.2 x 55.4 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 76.2 x 55.4 cm
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia at the bottom left: serpent (with dropped wings)

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the bottom left: serpent (with dropped wings)
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection
Location: Belgium

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P002
FR (1978) Nr.: FR358B
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P002/

Provenance

1901 auction Einsiedel, Berlin (Nr. 98)
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, No. 358B]
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]
1911 Mrs. Basch, Berlin
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 142, No. 358B]
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]
Bernheimer, München
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]
8./9.12.1994 auctioned at Christie's, London, 84
19.04.1996 auctioned at Christie's, London, 239
7.07.2009 auctioned at Christie's, London, II.
[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, 150, No. 83]

Exhibitions

Brussels 2010, No. 83
Madrid 2007/08, No. 71

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Herrschaft, Heydenreich 2014

93-94

Author	Gunnar Heydenreich, Jana Herrschaft
Title	Una Lucrecia de Lucas Cranach el Viejo en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao / A Lucretia by Lucas Cranach the Elder at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
Journal	Bilbao Fine Arts Museum Bulletin
Issue	8
Year of Publication	2014
Link	https://lucascranach.org/application/files/7016/2097/3068/Herrschaft_Heydenreich_2014_A_Lucretia_by_Cranach_the_Elder.pdf
Pages	85-109

Show Literature

Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010

150

pp. 150, 179

Editor	Bozarbooks & Lannoo, Guido Messling
Title	Die Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Die Welt des Lucas Cranach", Palast der Schönen Künste, Brüssel, 20. Oktober 2010 - 23. Januar 2011]
Place of Publication	Brussels
Year of Publication	2010

Show Literature

Werner 2010

Author	Elke Anna Werner
Title	Künstlerische Transferprozesse und mediale Strategien kultureller Aneignung. Cranach und Italien
Publication	in Guido Messling, ed., Die Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys, Exhib. Cat. Brussels
Place of Publication	Brussels
Year of Publication	2010
Pages	30-41

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

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

142

No. 358B

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Editor	G. Schwartz
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Basel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication	1979

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

289h

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1932
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932

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Research History / Discussion

The panel belongs to a series of five representations of Lucretia, which were created about 1540/45 and tend to be attributed to Lucas Cranach the Younger. All paintings show Lucretia as a half-length figure wearing a fur-trimmed coat with her left arm raised to her head.

This pictorial type was employed in earlier depictions of Lucretia, that are attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder.

[Herrschaft, cda 2014]

Lucretia, about 1540 - 1545

Images

Technical studies

10. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

- an underdrawing is not readily visible; possibly with a fluid, black medium?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

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-P002/ (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-P002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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