• Giuseppe Cades

  1750-1799

Tarquinius and Lucretia

• Production Date

  1795

• Type of Work / Object

  Drawing

• Location

  • Not on display

• Inventory Number

  D635

• Catalogue Number

  D635

• Catalogue Level / Collection

  Thorvaldsen's Collections > Collection of Drawings (D)

Explanation

• Tarquinius Superbus was the last Etruscan king in Rome. He forced access to the married Roman woman Lucretia and raped her. After the return of her husband, she committed suicide on account of the dishonour brought on her and a rebellion was started against Tarquinius, after which the Roman Republic was introduced around 500 BC. This story had long enjoyed popularity with artists in the 18th century, the age of the baroque. And the baroque features can clearly be seen in Cades’s work with its vigorous gestures and emotional intensity.

Motif / Theme

• Theme > Action > Rape

Additional Catalogue Information