The Tragedy of Lucretia by Sandro Botticelli Cushion

The Tragedy of Lucretia, central scene (1496-1504) by Sandro Botticelli is a vintage Renaissance Era fine art painting featuring the death by suicide of Lucretia. The painting is a blend of scenes from different legendary themes in different time periods that Botticelli considered related. The legend is that Lucretia, a noblewoman, was taken advantage of by the son of the last king of Rome, Sextus Tarquinius. As a result, Lucius Junius Brutus took an oath to expel the Tarquinii from Rome and never to allow anyone else to reign. Lucretia's corpse is on public display as a heroine. Brutus stands over her exhorting the populace to revolt and recruiting a revolutionary army of young men with swords. The dagger with which Lucretia killed herself is sticking out of her chest. The statue on top of the column behind Brutus is David with Goliath's head. David and Goliath were a symbol of revolt against tyranny in the Republic of Florence, Italy. About the artist: Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510) was an Italian painter of the Florentine school during the Early Renaissance.