Titelpagina voor: Dirck Pietersz. Pers, Lucretia, ofte Het beeld der eerbaerheydt. Amsterdam: 1624 1624

This 1624 engraving by Dirck Pietersz. Pers is a title page for a book about Lucretia, a Roman noblewoman who was raped by Sextus Tarquinius, the son of the Roman King Tarquinius Superbus. Lucretia’s suicide after the event was a major catalyst for the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy and the establishment of the Roman Republic. This artwork is a complex visual composition depicting a scene of triumph with two angels flanking a warrior-like figure, surrounded by a lush background, a scene symbolic of Lucretia’s strength and the virtues of Roman society. This artwork is important for the study of Dutch Golden Age printmaking and as a visual representation of a pivotal moment in Roman history.