Lucretia

mythological

This painting, showing the suicide of Lucretia, is on the back side of the Portrait of a Man. After rape by Sextus, son of Tarquin, king of Rome, the Roman matron preferred death to further dishonour, so she killed herself. Scorel turned to a much-used Marcantonio Raimondi engraving after Raphael as his source.

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About the Artist

Jan van Scorel

1495 – 1562

Jan van Scorel (Schoorel), the first Dutch painter of importance to study in Italy and responsible for introducing the Italian High Renaissance to the Netherlands. He was widely travelled and was appointed by Pope Hadrian VI superintendent of the Vatican Coll. In Rome he was influenced by Michelangelo and Raphael, particularly the latter. He returned to the Netherlands in 1524. His works include Pilgrims to Jerusalem, St Mary Magdalen and Holy Kinship. Van Scorel trained with Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen and possibly also with Jan Gossart , while his pupils included major painters such as Antonis Mor.

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