Lucretia

Lucretia

Title

Lucretia

[Auct. Cat. Christie's in the Archive D. Koepplin]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a half-length figure in contemporary dress sitting in front of a landscape. Her face is inclined slightly to the left and her gaze is directed at the viewer. In her left hand she holds the dagger pointed towards her breast, and in her right hand

The painting depicts Lucretia as a half-length figure in contemporary dress sitting in front of a landscape. Her face is inclined slightly to the left and her gaze is directed at the viewer. In her left hand she holds the dagger pointed towards her breast, and in her right hand she has a fur-trimmed overcoat. This is draped over her right shoulder, falls then down her back and covers her lap. Underneath this she wears a contemporary garment with stepped white sleeves, which reveals her breasts. She wears a choker, which is richly decorated with pearls and precious stones, a necklace with precious stones and a leather band with a pendant. Lucretia's hair is pinned up underneath a bonnet decorated with pearls. A mountainous landscape with a river and castles is visible in the background.

[Herrschaft, cda 2011]

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
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]

Production date
before 1530

Production date

before 1530

[Herrschaft, cda 2011]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 41.6 x 26.7 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 41.6 x 26.7 cm

  • 16 3/8 x 10 1/2 in.

  • [Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
Location
Belgium
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P024
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P024/

Provenance

  • 5/6 Dec 1922 sale of Count Cavens Collection in the Galerie Le Roy, Brussels, No. 35
    [Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]
  • 7/8 Dec 1960 sale of the Fernand Stuyck Collection in the Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, No. 25
    [Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]
  • 6 June 2007 auctioned at Christie's London, No. 111
    [Handwritten annotation D. Koepplin on the page of the Auct. Cat. Christie's 2007 in the D. Koepplin Archive]
  • 3 December 2014 auctioned at Christie's London, lot 113
    [Christie's Online database; https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/studio-of-lucas-cranach-i-lucretia-5857540-details.aspx; accessed 22 Nov 2018]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Auct. Cat. London 2007 No. 111
EditorChristie's Fine Art Auction House, London
TitleChristies, 06. July 2007
Place of PublicationLondon
Year of Publication2007
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
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

Research History / Discussion

This undated painting is closely related in style to the depiction of Lucretia from c. 1518 in the Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel (FR122). According to the most recent research these are the only paintings from the Cranach workshop depicting Lucretia sitting in front of a landscape. In addition both Lucretias are wearing similar contemporary dress, jewellery and an overcoat. Judging from their pose - sitting with the arms lowered and with the head inclined to the left - both paintings are of the same type, probably employing the same template. Just this one is an unusual depiction of Lucretia, stabbing herself with her left hand. The pose and clothing are very similar to an earlier Lucretia (FR55) from 1512 – 14 but this version is mirror-inverted painted.

It is therefore likely that this Lucretia was created before 1530.

[Herrschaft, cda 2011]

  • Lucretia, before 1530

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/PRIVATE_NONE-P024/ (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-P024/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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