Tarquinius and Lucretia
around 1600 | Hans von Aachen
Sextus Tarquinius, son of the Etruscan king, attempted to seduce Lucretia, wife of Collatinus, a woman equally renowned for her beauty and her virtue. When he failed in this, he threatened her with his sword, saying he would kill her and lay her next to a dead servant to give the impression that she had been disturbed in an act of adultery. Lucretia gave in to this blackmail, was raped, and committed suicide soon after.
Sextus Tarquinius, son of the Etruscan king, attempted to seduce Lucretia, wife of Collatinus, a woman equally renowned for her beauty and her virtue. When he failed in this, he threatened her with his sword, saying he would kill her and lay her next to a dead servant to give the impression that she had been disturbed in an act of adultery. Lucretia gave in to this blackmail, was raped, and committed suicide soon after.
Artist:
Hans von Aachen (1552 Köln - 1615 Prag) DNB
Time:
around 1600
Object Name
Painting
Culture
German
Material/technology:
Canvas
Dimensions:
121 x 185 cm
Framed: 140,7 cm × 204,9 cm × 9,5 cm
Signed
"HVA" monogrammed in the lower right corner
Copyright
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie
Invs.
Gemäldegalerie, 9862
Provenance
Painted for Rudolf II; 1623 Daniel de Briers, art dealer; 1623 Jakob Guthals, Frankfurt; about 1900 John Quincey Adams; bought in 1993;