Artwork
The death of Lucretia
The death of Lucretia is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master with the Parrot. It dates from 1501 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. Created in 1501, this oil painting portrays the Roman heroine Lucretia at the moment of her suicide.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition includes a gemstone, an object that may serve as a symbolic attribute within the scene.
The painting depicts the suicide of Lucretia, a subject drawn from Roman history and mythology. As a history painting, the work focuses on the moment of Lucretia's self-inflicted death, a narrative traditionally associated with themes of honor, virtue, and political tyranny. The composition includes a gemstone, an object that may serve as a symbolic attribute within the scene.
Created by the Master with the Parrot, the oil-on-panel work utilizes the visual language of early sixteenth-century narrative art to convey the gravity of the protagonist's final act.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on a panel support, this history painting measures 48 cm in height and 38 cm in width. The work depicts the suicide of Lucretia, incorporating specific details such as a gemstone within the composition. Stylistically, the piece is attributed to the Master with the Parrot, an artist active during the early sixteenth century.
The handling of the medium reflects the conventions of the period, utilizing the durability of panel and the blending capabilities of oil to render the historical narrative.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1501 by the Master with the Parrot, the work entered the Spanish royal collection by 1746 when it is recorded in an inventory of the queen’s possessions under Elisabeth Farnese. It descended through the Spanish monarchs, passing to Philip V, then to Charles III, and finally to Ferdinand VII, who placed it in the Museo del Prado by the nineteenth century. The canvas has remained in Madrid ever since, housed at the Prado and its annexes at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.
The painting The Death of Lucretia by the Master with the Parrot is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. It has been associated with several royal locations, including the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. Historically, the work was owned by Spanish monarchs such as Philip V, Elisabeth Farnese, Charles III, and Ferdinand VII.
No specific inventory or accession numbers are provided in the available records, nor is there documented exhibition history listed for this piece.
Context
The work is classified as a history painting depicting Lucretia's suicide, reflecting Renaissance approaches to moral narratives within the broader tradition of narrative art. Its creation by the Master with the Parrot in 1501 aligns with early 16th-century developments in devotional and historiated painting, situating it within the artist's oeuvre and the evolution of Spanish Renaissance art. The painting's presence in royal collections underscores its cultural significance during this period.
Overview
Created in 1501, this oil painting portrays the Roman heroine Lucretia at the moment of her suicide. Executed by the Antwerp workshop known as the Master with the Parrot, the work now belongs to the collection of the Museo del Prado. It belongs to the genre of history painting, a popular form for narrative scenes in early sixteenth‑century Flemish art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
The Master with the Parrot or Master of the Parrot (fl. between 1520 and 1540) is the notname given to a group of Flemish painters who likely worked in a workshop in Antwerp in the first half of the 16th century. They…
