Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti; Italian, 1518-1594)
Tarquin and Lucretia
INV-6492
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti; Italian, 1518-1594)1578–80
Tarquin and Lucretia
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti; Italian, 1518-1594) →sixteenth century16th Centuryoil on canvaspaint
Date
1578–80
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
175 × 151.5 cm (68 7/8 × 59 5/8 in.); Framed: 203.9 × 181 × 8.3 cm (80 1/4 × 71 1/4 × 3 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Art Institute Purchase Fund
According to Roman history, the rape of the virtuous matron Lucretia by Tarquin, son of the Roman king, incited the people to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic around 510 BCE. Lucretia was hailed as a hero for subsequently committing suicide in an attempt to avoid any perceived dishonor to her family. Tintoretto depicted one of the most violent moments of the story with his characteristic expressive distortions of anatomy and space and vibrant treatment of light: As Tarquin and Lucretia struggle, a pillow flies through the air, her pearl necklace breaks apart, and the fabric and carved posts of the bed’s canopy collapse around them.
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