The work in front of you now was painted by one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance, Tiziano Vecellio, better known as Titian. The subject is the rape of Lucretia, described in the ancient tales of Livy and Ovid. Tarquin, son of the last King of Rome, burst into the nuptial chamber of one of his general’s young brides, famous for her virtue and beauty.
Titian creates a dramatic and erotic intensity here by opposing the two sexes. He chooses the dreadful moment Tarquin forces himself upon his victim, pushing himself between her legs, ready to stick his sharp dagger into Lucretia’s belly. Her nudity contrasts with Tarquin’s rich red clothes, evocative of lust and violence. Lucretia’s gaze desperately reaches out to us, stirring our compassion. The tumultuous brushwork Titian used at the end of his career reinforces the cruelty of the scene. Feeling dishonoured, Lucretia kills herself.
This injustice provoked the uprising of the armies and the fall of the Roman monarchy in 509 BC. The Venetian tradition for colour culminated in Titian’s work and resulted in the birth of Baroque art which blossomed during the 17th century. His talent was expressed through his capacity to capture the passion of people’s souls with his paintbrush.