Monogrammist I.H., identifiable with Jan van den Hecke (Kwaremont, 1620 – Antwerp, 1684) Sextus Tarquinius surprises Lucretia at work Oil on canvas, 66 x 100 cm With frame, cm 79 x 112 Signed on the bench at the bottom left "I.H. f / 1641" Critical note by Marina Aarts This fascinating and interesting painting depicts Sextus Tarquinius surprising Lucretia at work in her home, as narrated, among others, by Titus Livius in History of Rome, I, pp. 57/60. The scene anticipates the rape of Lucretia and her subsequent suicide. Since the Renaissance, the story of Lucretia became a popular subject in art, although the most frequently depicted scene was that of Lucretia's suicide itself, which made her an example of virtue. The moment depicted here, on the other hand, is rarely depicted. The story of Lucretia, narrated by Titus Livius, is a dramatic account of virtue and Roman honor. An exemplary wife of Collatinius, she was raped by Sextus Tarquinius, the son of the king of Rome. After revealing the atrocious abuse to her father and husband, and urging them to revenge, she committed suicide to preserve her own honor and that of her family. This event triggered the revolt that led to the expulsion of the monarchy and the establishment of the Roman Republic. Due to its elongated format, the present painting is likely part of a series illustrating the story. Style and composition suggest that it was active in Antwerp in the 1640s. The identification of the painter, who left his initials on the stool in the foreground, is Jan van den Hecke (1620-1684), known mainly for his still lifes, but who is also known to have painted historical scenes. The Niederländisches Küntler-Lexikon, I, p. 653, by Alfred von Wurzbach, reports that he signed with his initials. Jan van den Hecke (Kwaremont, 1620 – Antwerp, 1684) was a multifaceted Flemish painter, known for still lifes, landscapes, and battle scenes. After apprenticing in Antwerp with Abraham Hack, he became a master in 1641-1642. He traveled to Rome, where he was patronized by Paolo Giordano II Orsini, and probably also to France. In the mid-1650s, he was in Brussels, where he worked for Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, a great art collector, especially of floral paintings. In 1657 he returned to Antwerp and in 1660 married Maria Adriana Heyens, with whom he had three children, including Jan van den Hecke the Younger, who was also a painter. His notable students include Peeter van der Elstraeten and Peeter de Clerc. He died in Antwerp in 1684. His work ranged from still lifes of flowers, fruits, and game, to animal scenes, landscapes, genre scenes, military scenes, and allegorical paintings. He was particularly skilled at painting flowers, also creating "garland paintings," a typically Flemish genre developed by Jan Bruegel the Elder, often in collaboration with other artists. He also made still lifes with dogs and "pronkstilleven" (opulent still lifes), demonstrating mastery in reproducing gold, silver, crystal, and porcelain.