Artwork
La Mort de Lucrèce
La Mort de Lucrèce is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Guido Cagnacci. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1650 by Guido Cagnacci, an Italian painter active in the Baroque period, La Mort de Lucrèce is an oil work that portrays the tragic end of the Roman heroine Lucretia. The canvas is part of the early Italian Baroque repertoire and is presently displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman dressed in a white gown with a red shawl draped over her left shoulder, clutching a dagger in her right hand while her left hand rests on her lap. Her downcast eyes and solemn expression convey the gravity of Lucretia’s self‑inflicted death, a moment traditionally linked to themes of honor and political upheaval.
Technique & Style
Cagnacci employs a stark chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated figure to emerge from a deep, blackened backdrop that includes a heavy curtain. The contrast of light on the white dress and the red shawl against the surrounding darkness heightens the emotional tension, while the soft modeling of flesh reflects the influence of the Bolognese School on his Baroque sensibility.
History & Provenance
The painting, attributed to Cagnacci’s mature phase, entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon during the 20th century, though its earlier ownership remains undocumented. Its presence in a major French institution underscores the continued scholarly interest in Cagnacci’s relatively limited oeuvre within the broader narrative of Baroque art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Guido Cagnacci (Italian:; 13 January 1601 – 1663) was an Italian Baroque painter originally from Santarcangelo di Romagna.
