Lucretia

Guercino, early 1640s

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Artist: Guercino (Italian, 1591–1666)
Medium: Pen and brown ink and wash
Size: 7 5/8 × 6 3/4 in. (19.37 × 17.15 cm) (sheet)
Museum: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Rights: Public Domain Mark

According to ancient Roman tradition, when the noblewoman Lucretia refused the advances of Tarquin, son of the king of Rome, he threatened to kill her and a male servant and to leave them in a bed together for her husband to discover. To spare the life of the servant, Lucretia sacrificed herself to Tarquin, who raped her. Afterward she summoned her family, swore them to an oath of vengeance, and—the moment depicted in Guercino’s drawing—lifted a dagger to kill herself.

The rapid, searching strokes defining the robe, the curving parallels in the shadows, and the stippled dots that define Lucretia’s skin all demonstrate Guercino’s breathtaking skill with the pen. Though renowned today, his drawings were largely unknown to his contemporaries. He made them for his own use and kept them until his death.

Text: Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), CC BY 4.0.