* Francesco de Mura Naples 1696 - 1782

As recounted by Livy (Chapter 1, verses 23-24), the dispute between the city of Rome and nearby Alba Longa was settled with three brothers from one city (the Horatii) fighting three brothers from the other (the Curiatii) in single combat. All three Curiatii were mortally wounded and only Horatius survived. After returning home and discovering that his sister had been betrothed to one of the Curiatii, Horatius slew her.  

This picture, illustrating the death of an ancient heroine, is likely to have been painted as a pendant to a picture of the same dimensions, showing The Death of Virginia, in Manchester City Art Gallery (for which see N. Spinosa, Pittura napoletana del Settecento, dal Barocco al Rococò, Naples 1986, p. 165, cat. no. 273, reproduced p. 356, fig. 330). That episode is also told by Livy (Chapter 3, verses 44-58) and the picture is possibly that recorded as having been bequeathed by De Mura to the Pio Monte at his death (see G. Ceci, "Lo 'studio' di Francesco de Mura", in Rassegna Storica Napoletana, vol. 1, no. 2, 1933, pp. 107-18). De Mura left 187 paintings to the Pio Monte della Misericordia and the inventory lists two paintings of the same dimensions (3 1/2 by 5 1/2 piedi), one illustrating The Death of Virginia and the other described (perhaps erroneously) as The Death of Lucretia, as nos. 31 and 32 respectively. It seems likely that the present canvas is the one identified as Lucretia in the inventory and whereas it is recorded that the painting of Virginia was sold for 150 ducati to Sig. Vitolo on March 31, 1845, it is not known when or how the Lucretia was sold (though it is valued at slightly less, 120 ducati). 

We are grateful to Prof. Nicola Spinosa for endorsing the attribution to De Mura, having seen the picture firsthand, and for confirming that he, too, believes it to be a pendant to the picture in Manchester depicting The Death of Virginia and believes this work dates to 1745-46.