Lucretia

Lucretia

Title

Lucretia

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 240N]

Painting on wood (cradled)

Medium

Painting on wood (cradled)

[Auct. Cat. Lempertz in the D. Koepplin Archive, 2001]

The fragmentary painting depicts Lucretia inclined slightly to the left. She wears a fur-trimmed gown over her naked body.

In addition she wears precious jewelry: three delicate linked chains and a necklace with a pendant around her neck. Her hair is pinned up under a net-like bonnet decorated with pearls.

The background

The fragmentary painting depicts Lucretia inclined slightly to the left. She wears a fur-trimmed gown over her naked body.

In addition she wears precious jewelry: three delicate linked chains and a necklace with a pendant around her neck. Her hair is pinned up under a net-like bonnet decorated with pearls.

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
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Goecke 1909, plate 31]
or circle of? [Lempertz online database; accessed 21.12.2020]

Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

or workshop? [Lempertz online database; accessed 21.12.2020]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240N]
[Auct. Cat. Lempertz in the D. Koepplin Archive, 2001]

Production dates
about 1526 - 1537
1530 - 1535

Production dates

about 1526 - 1537

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

1530 - 1535

[Letter D. Keopplin in the D. Koepplin Archive, 2001]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support (fragment):

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support (fragment):

  • 21.5 x 16.5 cm

  • [Auct. Cat. Lempertz in the D. Koepplin Archive, 2001]

Signature / Dating

none

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P005
FR (1978) Nr.
FR240N
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P005/

Provenance

  • about 1909 collection Freiherr von Eckardstein, Plattenburg (Germany)
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, Nr. 240N]
    [Goecke 1909, plate 31]
  • 18.01.1988 auctioned at Lempertz, Cologne
    [Auct. Cat. Lempertz in the Archive D. Koepplin, 2001]
  • in the possession of a noble family from the Rheinland
    [Auct. Cat. Lempertz in the Archive D. Koepplin, 2001]
  • 19.05.2001 auctioned at Lempertz, Cologne, lot 1027
  • in a private collectioin in Lower Saxony
  • 14.11.2020 auctioned at Lempertz, Cologne, lot 2015
    [Lempertz online database; accessed 21.12.2020]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 118 No. 240N
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 198p
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
Goecke 1909 253 Plate 31
AuthorTheodor Goecke
EditorBrandenburgischer Provinzialverband
TitleDie Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Westprignitz
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1909
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The artist who painted this fragment adapted a head type frequently used in the Cranach workshop [see US_MMANY_11-15]; [PRIVATE_NONE-P227]. Some of the materials and techniques correspond with those employed in Cranach’s workshop about 1530. However, the underdrawing and the painterly quality differ considerably from works firmly attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder [see US_MMANY_11-15]. As far as we know in the 1520s and 1530s spruce was not used in Cranach’s workshop. This fact suggests the panel was not produced in the Wittenberg workshop, but it may be a work by one of Cranach’s former pupils (the Master of the Mass of St Gregory?), who executed it elsewhere with skills acquired in the workshop. In our opinion this fragment, depicting Lucretia, is the work of a pupil or can be attributed to the circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder.

[unpublished examination report, Heydenreich, Blumenroth, Dietz, 03.09.2020]

In this fragment the dagger, which is Lucretia’s attribute has not survived. Her pose - the head inclined to the left, the fur- trimmed overcoat covering both shoulders, the arms which were originally lowered as well as the jewelry – suggests that this fragment was originally similar to early Lucretia paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder (FR042, FR055).

[Herrschaft, cda 2011]

  • Lucretia, about 1526 - 1537

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
  • x_radiograph
  • uv_light

Technical studies

2020Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Stereomicroscopy
  • Infrared reflectography
  • X-radiography
  • UV-light photography

Support

Coniferous wood, identified under the stereomicroscope as spruce (A. Krupa).

The panel consist of two vertically aligned boards (with two knots). In the x-radiograph thin dark lines are visible, indicating that a fibrous material was attached, for the most part horizontally, to the front of the panel.

Lucas Cranach frequently chose spruce for his supports during his stay in Vienna from 1502 – 1504, whereas in Wittenberg the use of spruce in the workshop was unusual. Former employees like the Master IW used spruce later in a new place of work. In the Cranach workshop a fibre or fabric application was often attached to panels before they were primed. However, this method however also common in the 16th century workshops of Nuremberg.

Ground and Imprimatura

The panel has a white ground. At the top edge remains of a burr have been retained.

Underdrawing

The infrared reflectogram reveals an underdrawing executed with a brush and fluid medium in lines of varying widths and shades of grey. The contours and the necklace were applied with broader lines and details like the decorative element in the hair, the shadows on the nose and eyes were added with fine hatching strokes. At the bottom edge of the painting in the area of the flesh paint the point of the dagger is indicated with two superimposed lines. The underdrawing appears in some sections to be relatively confident, whereas in other details like the shadow in the face and head attire very detailed with overlapping searching lines.

Paint Layers and Gilding

The following elements were detected using XRF and on comparision with optical properties the listed pigments could be identified:

Flesh paint: Pb, Hg, (Zn, Cu)

Pb: lead white/ red lead; Hg: vermilion; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Cu: blue pigment containing copper (azurite); siccative?; Ca: chalk/ gypsum; Zn: siccative? retouching?

Yellow: Ca, Pb, Fe, Hg, Sn, (Cu)

Pb: lead white/ vermilion; Pb, Sn: lead tin yellow I; Hg: vermilion; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Cu: blue/green pigment containing copper? siccative?; Ca: chalk/ gypsum; Zn: siccative? retouching?

Grey/Green: Pb, Hg, Fe, Zn, (Cu)

Pb: lead white/ red lead; Hg: vermilion; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Cu: blue/green pigment containing copper? siccative?; Zn: siccative? retouching?

Black: Ca, Pb, Fe, Zn

Pb: lead white/ red lead; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Ca: chalk/ gypsum; Zn: siccative? retouching?

Brown: Ca, Pb, Fe, Hg, Cu, (Sn)

Pb: lead white/ vermilion; Pb, Sn: lead tin yellow I; Hg: vermilion; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Cu: blue/green pigment containing copper? siccative?; Ca: chalk/ gypsum; Zn: siccative? retouching?

Yellow: Ca, Pb, Fe, Hg, Sn, Cu

Pb: lead white/ red lead; Pb, Sn: lead tin yellow I; Hg: vermilion; Fe: iron oxide/ ochre; Cu: blue/green pigment containing copper? siccative?; Ca: chalk/ gypsum; Zn: siccative? retouching?

The following pigments were identified: lead white, lead tin yellow, vermilion, iron oxide, azurite, a green pigment containing copper and carbon black. In addition a small amount of zinc was detected.

The flesh paint was modelled over a light mid-tone with light admixtures of greyish-brown shadow tones, pink coloured glazes and single dark brown to black contours and accents. The hair was executed using lead tin yellow. The head attire was further refined employing yellowish-red lines and dots as well as a black pattern on a reddish-brown underpaint (iron oxide). The necklaces are executed in a similar confident fashion. The coat appears to have been modelled with a copper-green paint and now discoloured glazes over a dark (black?) underpaint. The single hairs of the fur trimming were painted in brown, black and grey with a fine tipped brush on a light brown underpaint.

The identified inorganic pigments were common in workshops from the middle ages until about 1750 and also in the Cranach workshop. The presence of the element zinc suggests the use of modern zinc white for retouching. However, the use of a 16th century siccative containing zinc is also plausible. It was not possible to identify all the pigments.

[unpublished examination report, Heydenreich, Blumenroth, Dietz, 03.09.2020]

  • examined by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • examined by Diana Blumenroth
  • examined by Stephanie Dietz

Condition Reports

Date2020

The panel is in a stable condition.

There are numerous vertical splits in the wooden support. It has been cradled on the reverse and stained brown. The panel has been trimmed on all four sides and thinned with a toothed plane to a thickness of c. 0.5 to 0.7 cm.

The paint layers exhibit craquéle caused by ageing and there are numerous retouches across the surface, particularly on the left side of Lucretia’s body.

The sprayed varnish layer is recent.

[unpublished examination report, Heydenreich, Blumenroth, Dietz, 03.09.2020]

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-P005/ (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-P005/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.