The Lucretia, By Joos Van Cleve Essay - 1760 Words

The Lucretia was painted between 1520 to 1525 by Joos Van Cleve. The painting is an oil painting on a wooden canvas. It can attribute to the High Renaissance art in Italy because it has similar qualities and expressions with other works of art from that time period. The subject of this picture is Lucretia an ancient Roman woman who had a vital role in reshaping the Roman Kingdom into the Roman Republic. In the painting she is standing while piercing herself with a knife. She is wearing a red coat with brown fur trimming. It is very lose on her dropping off her shoulders exposing her breasts. She is also wearing two necklaces, a golden ring, and a golden bracelet. One necklace is a golden chain, and the other is a necklace with a pendent. Both of her clothes and jewelry shows that either she was in a wealthy family or had a high social position. Lucretia is also wearing a red bonnet with a white veil that almost looks like smoke. The knife that she is holding between her two hands is cutting through her stomach and going up. Blood can be seen coming out of her wound. Lucretia is clearly commenting suicide and her facial expression is just utter pain. Lucretia’s body is only about three quarters shown of her upper body. Her breasts are exposed and how her jewelry is draped on her naked body shows an immediate impression of beauty and luxury of the female figure. Her head is tilted slightly to one side and her hands clenching the knife shows that she might be reflecting on