Lorenzo Lotto Painting of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Lorenzo Lotto was a Venetian artist born around 1480. His paintings have been called unusual in their stylistic design. From his birth in Venice, to working in Treviso, the Marches, Rome, and back to Venice, Lotto developed a unique style from a variety of artistic and regional influences which he used to inform his life’s work. This distinct style is apparent in Portrait of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia painted in the early 1530s. While the true identity of the woman is unknown, scholars have attempted to define her in terms of her occupation. These assumptions have primarily been guided by the woman’s manner of dress, but debate also surrounds the function of the drawing held in her hand. If the women is a courtesan, this painting is ironic; if the woman’s is a wife, the painting symbolizes loyalty and wifely devotion. Several scholars, such as Rona Goffen, Rhona Goodspeed, and Amanda Chadbourne have attempted to identify the role of both women in Lotto’s painting through analyses of key visual elements. This paper will examine the subject of Lotto’s painting as purposely ambiguous. By examining formal elements of the portrait, analyses of Lotto’s style, and Venice’s treatment of its courtesans and nonexistent Classical past, this paper argues that the woman in the painting is neither meant to depict a prostitute nor an upper-class wife. Rather, the painting depicts a “modern” Lucretia.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Anne Muraoka
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Art Department
College Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture
Session Title
Art History 2: Critical Role of Women (Artist, Spectator, Patron, & Subject)
Location
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
Start Date
3-25-2023 10:45 AM
End Date
3-25-2023 11:45 AM
Lorenzo Lotto Painting of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
Lorenzo Lotto was a Venetian artist born around 1480. His paintings have been called unusual in their stylistic design. From his birth in Venice, to working in Treviso, the Marches, Rome, and back to Venice, Lotto developed a unique style from a variety of artistic and regional influences which he used to inform his life’s work. This distinct style is apparent in Portrait of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia painted in the early 1530s. While the true identity of the woman is unknown, scholars have attempted to define her in terms of her occupation. These assumptions have primarily been guided by the woman’s manner of dress, but debate also surrounds the function of the drawing held in her hand. If the women is a courtesan, this painting is ironic; if the woman’s is a wife, the painting symbolizes loyalty and wifely devotion. Several scholars, such as Rona Goffen, Rhona Goodspeed, and Amanda Chadbourne have attempted to identify the role of both women in Lotto’s painting through analyses of key visual elements. This paper will examine the subject of Lotto’s painting as purposely ambiguous. By examining formal elements of the portrait, analyses of Lotto’s style, and Venice’s treatment of its courtesans and nonexistent Classical past, this paper argues that the woman in the painting is neither meant to depict a prostitute nor an upper-class wife. Rather, the painting depicts a “modern” Lucretia.