Graphite and watercolour on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/dante-gabriel-rossetti-461" aria-label="More by Dante Gabriel Rossetti" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</a>
Lucrezia Borgia
Presented in memory of Henry Michael Field by Charles Ricketts through the Art Fund 1916
actions: processes and functions
adults
Alexander IV, Pope
Biscegli, Duke Alfonso
Borgia, Lucretia
clothing and personal items
crime and punishment
diseases and conditions
domestic
dress
flask
furnishings
individuals: female
individuals: male
interior - non-specific
interiors
mirror
murder
named individuals
objects
orange
people
poisoned
portraits
society
vessels and containers
washing / drying
woman
<p>Rossetti began work on this subject in 1860 at a time when he was especially interested in the history of the infamous Borgia family. In this watercolour Lucrezia Borgia washes her hands after poisoning her husband, Duke Alfonso Bisceglie. She is aided in the crime by her father, Pope Alexander IV. The reflection in the mirror shows him assisting the Duke to walk, thereby ensuring that the poison thoroughly infects the entire body. Burne-Jones was clearly influenced by the composition when painting the evil heroine Sidonia von Bork (see no.2). Many years after finishing the watercolour, Rossetti revised the details of Lucrezia's face.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique graphite watercolour
6 October 2001 – 6 January 2002
2002-01-06
6 October 2001 – 6 January 2002
2002-01-06
2001-10-06
Castle Museum (Norwich, UK)
2001-10-06
Frederick Sandys and the Pre-Raphaelites
Loan-out
12 July 2003 – 15 August 2004
2004-08-15
12 July 2003 – 28 September 2003
2003-09-28
2003-07-12
Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth, Australia)
25 October 2003 – 15 February 2004
2004-02-15
2003-10-25
Dunedin Public Art Gallery (Dunedin, New Zealand)
http://www.dunedin.art.museum
14 May 2004 – 15 August 2004
2004-08-15
2004-05-14
Frist Center for the Visual Arts (Nashville, USA)
2003-07-12
The Pre-Raphaelite Dream: Paintings and Drawings from the Tate Collection
Tate partnerships & programmes
24 February 2011 – 12 June 2011
2011-06-12
24 February 2011 – 12 June 2011
2011-06-12
2011-02-24
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (Rome, Italy)
2011-02-24
The Myth of  Italy from Turner to Burne-Jones
Loan-out
2 October 2017 – 2 April 2018
2018-04-02
2 October 2017 – 2 April 2018
2018-04-02
2017-10-02
National Gallery (London, UK)
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk
2017-10-02
Jan van Eyck and the Pre-Raphaelites
Loan-out
14 December 2018 – 19 September 2021
2021-09-19
19 June 2019 – 6 October 2019
2019-10-06
2019-06-19
Palazzo Reale (Milan, Italy)
13 May 2021 – 19 September 2021
2021-09-19
2021-05-13
Hungarian National Gallery (Budapest, Hungary)
2018-12-14
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Tate partnerships & programmes
6 April 2023 – 24 September 2023
2023-09-24
6 April 2023 – 24 September 2023
2023-09-24
2023-04-06
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2023-04-06
The Rossettis
Exhibition
Lucrezia Borgia
support: 438 × 258 mm
Presented in memory of Henry Michael Field by Charles Ricketts through the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 1916
<p>Rossetti began work on this subject in 1860 at a time when he was especially interested in the history of the infamous Borgia family. In this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/watercolour" title="Glossary definition for 'Watercolour'"><span>watercolour</span></a> Lucrezia Borgia washes her hands after poisoning her husband, Duke Alfonso Bisceglie. She is aided in the crime by her father, Pope Alexander IV. The reflection in the mirror shows him assisting the Duke to walk, thereby ensuring that the poison thoroughly infects the entire body. Burne-Jones was clearly influenced by the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/composition" title="Glossary definition for 'Composition'"><span>composition</span></a> when <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> the evil heroine Sidonia von Bork (see no.2). Many years after finishing the watercolour, Rossetti revised the details of Lucrezia's face.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-02T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
actions: processes and functions adults Alexander IV, Pope Biscegli, Duke Alfonso Borgia, Lucretia clothing and personal items crime and punishment diseases and conditions domestic dress flask furnishings individuals: female individuals: male interior - non-specific interiors mirror murder named individuals objects orange people poisoned portraits society vessels and containers washing / drying woman