Lucretia

Titles

Lucretia	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240Q]
Lucretia	[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]

The painting depicts Lucretia as a standing three-quarter length nude figure with a view of a landscape in the background. Her head is inclined to the right and she looks at the viewer. In her right hand she holds the dagger pointed against her breast and in her left hand she holds her veil. This is wrapped numerous times around both her arms and covers her vulva, but because of its transparency doesn't hide it. She wears a heavy chain and a neckband decorated with pearls around her neck. Her hair is pinned up under a pearl bonnet.

The background is dark, but a window on the right of the painting indicates that she is in a room. Through the window there is a view of a wooded landscape with mountains and a church.

[see Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198f., No. III.17]

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

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]
[Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003, 182, No. 82]
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, Nr. 240Q]

Production dates: 1529
1526-1537

Production dates

1529	[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17] [Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003, 182, No. 82]
1526-1537	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, Nr. 240Q]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 56.6 x 38.2 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 56.6 x 38.2 cm
[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent (with elevated wings)

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent (with elevated wings)
[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]

Owner: Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
Repository: Grunewald hunting lodge
Location: Grunewald

CDA ID: DE_SPSG_GKI30187
FR (1978) Nr.: FR240Q
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI30187/

Provenance

probably originally from the Potsdamer Stadtschloss (Potsdam City Palace), in 1811 recorded as hanging in the corridor behind the gallery (Bildergalerie) in Sanssouci
[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198, No. III.17]
before World War II on display in Grunewald hunting lodge and after the war declared missing
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240Q]
1956 in the possession of Wallraf
[mail correspondence D. Koepplin with SPSG in the Archive D. Koepplin, 1970]
1958 acquired by the Galerieverein, Stuttgart before it was returned to Berlin after the trial
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 118, No. 240Q]
since 1970 once again in the possession of the SPSG
[mail correspondence D. Koepplin with SPSG in the Archive D. Koepplin, 1970]

Exhibitions

Manchester 1957
Hamburg 2003, No. 82
Berlin 2009, No. III.17

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Coburg 2018

100, fn. 3, 102

under no. 17

Fig. 1

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

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Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009 A

198-199

No. III.17

Fig. III.17

Editor	Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
Title	Cranach und die Kunst der Renaissance unter den Hohenzollern. Kirche, Hof und Stadtkultur
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	2009

Show Literature

Most, Wolf et al. 2009

91, 92, 94

Figs. 7, 9

Author	Mechthild Most, Anja Wolf, Peter Klein, Undine Köhler, Jens Bartoll, Eva Wenders de Calisse
Title	Zur Maltechnik der beiden Cranach und ihrer Werkstatt. Ergebnisse der technologischen Untersuchung der Bildtafeln der Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten
Publication	in Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Petri-St. Marien, eds., Cranach und die Kunst der Renaissance unter den Hohenzollern, Exhib. Cat. Berlin
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	2009
Pages	86-97

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Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003

81, 182

082

Pl. 82

Editor	Bucerius Kunst Forum, Werner Schade
Title	Lucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne [Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg]
Place of Publication	Ostfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication	2003

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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

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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

118

No. 240Q

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

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Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

198f

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

Escape from the contrast between the sensual-seductive presence of the nude figure and the moment directly before the morally motivated suicide is offered by the view out of the window, where a small town with a church spire is visible in the background. Through this visual link between Lucretia and the church spire the exemplum of fidelity from antiquity can be interpreted as a reference to the sixth commandment (…).

[E. A. Werner, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198f., No. III.17]

However, as there are no church spires depicted in other landscape scenes (except FR237) this theory cannot be transferred.

[Herrschaft, CDA 2010]

The theory presented in the Hamburg exhibition catalogue from 2003 is more convincing, interpreting the window as a sign that Lucretia has turned her back on the world.

[W. Schade, O. Westheimer, S. Schuck, Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003, 182, Cat.-No. 82]

The painting in Houston (FR 237) from the same period exhibits a similar pose. However here Lucretia wears a precious robe and her face expresses more suffering.

[E. A. Werner, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 198f., No. III.17]

Lucretia, 1529

Images

Technical studies

01. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

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/DE_SPSG_GKI30187/ (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/DE_SPSG_GKI30187/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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