Lucretia

This Lucretia by Parmigianino, depicting the Roman heroine who took her own life after being violated by Sextus Tarquinius, is held at Burton Constable Hall. The subject of Lucretia was enormously popular in Renaissance art as an exemplum of female virtue and honor. Parmigianino's treatment, dating to around 1530, would have emphasized the elegant pathos of the subject, transforming the violent narrative into a study of refined beauty in extremis — characteristic of Mannerism's aestheticizing approach to dramatic subjects.

Parmigianino's characteristic elongation of the female figure transforms the tragic subject into an exercise in formal elegance, with the figure's pose creating a sinuous, serpentine silhouette. The refined surface finish and cool palette demonstrate his departure from High Renaissance naturalism toward a more artificial, courtly beauty.