Tintoretto
According to Roman history, the rape of the virtuous matron Lucretia by Tarquin, son of the king of Rome, incited the people to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic around 510 BCE. Lucretia was hailed as a hero for subsequently committing suicide in an attempt to avoid any perceived dishonor to her family. With his characteristic expressive distortions of anatomy and space and vibrant treatment of light, Tintoretto depicted one of the most violent moments of the story. As Tarquin and Lucretia struggle, a pillow flies through the air, her pearl necklace breaks apart, and the fabric and carved post of the bed’s canopy collapses around them.
P.S. Lucretia's story inspired many artists throughout the centuries. See here how they depicted her!
P.P.S. If you love historical and mythological subjects in art as much as we do, you'd understand why we had to feature some of them in our 2022 Weekly Desk Calendar. Check it out here - now on sale!
And, dear Ukrainian friends - we are with you with all our hearts! Stay strong!!