Suicide of Lucretia, from "Scenes from Roman History"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 3 1/16 × 4 1/2 in. (7.8 × 11.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1957
Accession Number
57.658.59
Tags
Art Historical Context
Georg Pencz's *Suicide of Lucretia, "Scenes from Roman History is a poignant engraving capturing a pivotal moment from ancient Roman legend. Lucretia, a virtuous Roman noblewoman, took her own life after being assaulted by the son of King Tarquin, an act that ignited outrage and led to the downfall of Rome's monarchy in 509 BCE, paving the way for the Republic. Pencz, a leading figure among the Nuremberg Little Masters—a group of 16th-century engravers renowned for their intricate small-scale works—depicts this dramatic scene with emotional intensity, emphasizing themes of chastity, honor, and...
About the Artist
Georg Pencz · 1490–1550
Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits