Student Artwork Guide

4 parts 1 The artwork2 In context3 Artist and museum4 Look closely

Name Class Date

rosa lucas, Old Lady. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder.

The facts

Artist: rosa lucas wahooart.com/en/artists/rosa-lucas/
Original size: 51 x 40 cm

Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. The catalogue has no life dates for rosa lucas; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so the safer reading is that rights still apply. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Old Lady — rosa lucas

How big is it?

The original measures 51 × 40 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

Compare with

Matilda Lucas wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-matilda-lucas-AR2EUE-en/
Dining Room at Stanegarth, Cumbria wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-dining-room-at-stanegarth-cumbria-AR2EUJ-en/
Man in a Smock wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-man-in-a-smock-AR2EU6-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Espresso #353435

Catalogued palette

#353435
#E6C0A3
#927A5C
#6A5D49

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Espresso
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Balanced How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Old Lady — rosa lucas

Artist

rosa lucas

Rosa Lucas: A Renaissance of Light and Emotion

Rosa Lucas, a name perhaps less heralded than some of her contemporaries within the grand halls of 16th-century art, nevertheless carved out a significant and deeply personal space for herself as a painter and printmaker. Born in Germany during a period of immense artistic ferment – the tail end of the Northern Renaissance and the burgeoning influence of Italian Mannerism – Lucas’s work offers a unique blend of meticulous technique and intensely felt emotion. Her legacy isn't one of monumental commissions or courtly grandeur, but rather a quiet testament to her ability to capture fleeting moments of beauty, domestic tranquility, and profound human connection.

Lucas’s early life remains somewhat shrouded in the mists of historical record, though it is generally accepted that she received a solid artistic education within the workshops of prominent artists in Saxony. This training instilled in her a rigorous understanding of perspective, anatomy, and color theory – hallmarks of the Renaissance tradition. However, unlike many of her peers who diligently replicated established styles, Lucas quickly developed a distinctive approach, prioritizing emotional resonance over strict adherence to convention.

Where to read more

The artist rosa lucas wahooart.com/en/artists/rosa-lucas/
Similar works More works to compare wahooart.com/en/art/similar/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Old Lady

wahooart.com/en/art/download/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: lucas, rosa. Old Lady. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/
APA: lucas, rosa (n.d.). Old Lady [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/
Chicago: rosa lucas. Old Lady. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/
Harvard: lucas, rosa (n.d.) Old Lady. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/rosa-lucas-old-lady-AR2EU8-en/

Old Lady — rosa lucas

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Matilda Lucas, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.