Artwork
Lucretia
Lucretia is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Younger. It dates from 1537 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Roman noblewoman Lucretia at the moment of her suicide, serving as a classic example of history painting.
The painting depicts the Roman noblewoman Lucretia at the moment of her suicide, serving as a classic example of history painting. The work centers on the main subject of her self-inflicted death, a narrative event drawn from ancient history. As a history painting, the piece focuses on this specific dramatic episode rather than a generic portrait or landscape.
The imagery represents the tragic climax of Lucretia's story, where she takes her own life following a violation, a subject frequently explored in Renaissance art to illustrate themes of virtue and honor.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a lime panel support, measuring 74 cm in height and 53.5 cm in width. Its formal qualities include a tightly rendered composition that emphasizes the tragic moment of Lucretia’s suicide, rendered with the characteristic linear precision of the Cranach workshop. The handling of light and color underscores the narrative drama while maintaining the stylized elegance typical of early 16th‑century German history painting.
History & Provenance
The work titled Lucretia was created by Lucas Cranach the Younger in 1537 as an oil painting on lime panel, depicting the suicide of Lucretia. Its inception is recorded between 1531 and 1537, and it measures 74 cm by 53.5 cm. The painting entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, specifically the Munich Central Collecting Point, and was later associated with the Hermann Göring Collection before being housed in the Alte Pinakothek.
Overview
Lucas Cranach the Younger painted Lucretia in 1537, employing the Northern Renaissance’s history‑painting genre. The oil work is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings and presents the Roman heroine at the moment of her tragic decision.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Younger (German: Lucas Cranach der Jüngere, IPA:; 4 October 1515 – 25 January 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach.
