Artwork
Tarquin Threatening Lucretia
Tarquin Threatening Lucretia is an oil painting by Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the pivotal moment from Roman legend when Sextus Tarquinius, son of the last king of Rome, threatens Lucretia with a dagger to compel her submission. Lucretia is shown resisting, her body tense as Tarquinius asserts his power, while the presence of the king’s crown in the background signals the coercive authority behind the assault. The scene illustrates the classical narrative of the rape of Lucretia, a story often cited to justify the expulsion of the Tarquin monarchy and the establishment of the Roman Republic.
In this context, the work represents the moral and political consequences of tyranny and sexual violence, underscoring themes of resistance, virtue, and the overthrow of unjust rule.
Technique & Style
The work depicts the moment when Tarquin, the tyrannical king, threatens Lucretia, a scene drawn from Roman history and rendered in the history painting genre.
Tarquin Threatening Lucretia is an oil painting on canvas created in 1694 by Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole. The work depicts the moment when Tarquin, the tyrannical king, threatens Lucretia, a scene drawn from Roman history and rendered in the history painting genre. Executed in oil on canvas, the composition emphasizes dramatic gesture and chiaroscuro to heighten emotional tension, reflecting the Baroque emphasis on narrative intensity and physical presence.
The painting measures 575 centimeters in width and is housed in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum's historical narrative holdings.
The formal qualities of the work are defined by its dynamic diagonal composition, stark contrasts of light and shadow, and a sculptural rendering of the figures that underscores the psychological drama of the encounter. Dal Sole’s technique combines precise anatomical modeling with expressive brushwork, producing a sense of immediacy and physicality. The use of oil paint on canvas allows for rich color modulation and textural depth, contributing to the painting’s enduring visual impact within the tradition of Northern European history painting.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1694, the work was created by Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole as a history painting depicting the moment when Sextus Tarquinius threatens Lucretia.
By 2023 the painting was held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains located.
Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole's oil painting Tarquin Threatening Lucretia, created in 1694, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The work is cataloged as a history painting depicting the figures of Sextus Tarquinius, Lucretia, and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. As of the available records, the source material does not list a specific inventory or accession number for this piece, nor does it provide details regarding a history of exhibitions for the work.
Overview
Created in 1698 by the Bolognese artist Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole, this oil painting presents a dramatic encounter drawn from the Roman legend of Lucretia. Executed in the late‑Baroque idiom, the work measures the tension between power and virtue, positioning the viewer within a tightly composed interior where a cloaked figure looms over a reclining woman.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole (10 December 1654 – 22 July 1719) was an Italian painter and engraver from Bologna, active in the late-Baroque period.
