Lucretia

Title

Lucretia

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

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

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

The fragmentary painting depicts Lucretia inclined slightly to the left and looking out at the viewer. She is wearing a fur-trimmed cloak over her naked body and her blond curls are pinned up. She wears a large linked chain around her neck as well as chain decorated with pearls and

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: Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

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

Production date: about 1526 - 1537

Production date

about 1526 - 1537

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

Dimensions: Dimensions of support (fragment): 19.5 x 16 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support (fragment): 19.5 x 16 cm
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240L]
Slightly differing measures after Koepplin: 18 x 15.5 cm [handwritten annotation D. Koepplin on the reverse of a photograph in the Archive D. Koepplin]

Signature / Dating: None

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P230
FR (1978) Nr.: FR240L
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P230/

Provenance

1931 P. Rusch, Dresden
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240L]
Vienna, private collection
[handwritten annotation D. Koepplin on the reverse of the photograph, D. Koepplin archive]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

118

No. 240L

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

198n

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

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Lucretia’s attribute – the dagger – has not been preserved.

However, various features exhibited by this fragment like the posture of the figure, with her head inclined to the left and her gaze fixed on the viewer, the fur-trimmed cloak over her shoulders, her lowered arms, her necklace decorated with pearls and the curtain in the background suggest that the painting was originally very similar to one from the Cranach workshop [FR240D] that has survived.

[Herrschaft, cda 2018]

Lucretia, about 1526 - 1537

Images

Versions

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-P230/ (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-P230/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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