The Death of Lucretia

In a dark interior, the figure of Lucretia kneels on the floor, her body slumped forward, eyes closed, wearing a simple classical robe. She is supported by a man identified as her husband, Collatinus, who gazes down at her with a distressed expression. Standing to the left, Lucius Junius Brutus holds a dagger high above his head with his right hand while gesturing upward with his left, a dramatic expression on his face. The engraving uses heavy cross-hatching to define shadows and the tension in the figures' muscular limbs and draped clothing.

The suicide of Lucretia, according to Livy's 'Ab Urbe Condita', served as the catalyst for the overthrow of the Roman monarchy and the establishment of the Roman Republic. Blake's rendering for 'Allen's New and Impartial Roman History' emphasizes the shift from personal tragedy to political revolution via Brutus's oath.