father Huygh Jacobsz. and by Cornelis Engebrechtsz., his
earliest surviving painting, The Chess Players (before
1508; Berlin) has a psychological intensity that is entirely
novel. He was profoundly influenced by the graphic work
of Dürer and Marcantonio RAIMONDI, as well as by Jan
GOSSAERTand Jan van SCOREL. From these sources, with-
out ever visiting Italy, he formulated a postclassical man-
nerist style which reached its ultimate expression in the
Leyden Last Judgment tryptych (1526) and the Boston
Moses Striking the Rock (1527). Despite his evident skills
as a painter, Lucas’s chief claim to fame rests upon the for-
mal variety and technical virtuosity of his engravings,
which rival those of Dürer himself. In his short lifespan he
emerged as the most accomplished Dutch artist of the
early 1500s.
Lucca A city state by the River Serchio in Tuscany, north-
ern Italy. In turn Etruscan, Roman, Gothic, Byzantine, and
Lombard, Lucca was granted an imperial charter of liber-
ties (1118) and was the most powerful Tuscan city until
overtaken by Florence in the late Middle Ages. It contin-
ued to prosper however until family feuds in the 14th cen-
tury left it unable to resist domination by other Italian
cities. From 1369 imperial protection brought a measure
of security, although the Milanese briefly occupied Lucca
between 1430 and 1433. Despite some years under a sig-
noria, Lucca was generally a republican oligarchy during
the period of the Renaissance. Its silk industry and posi-
tion on roads linking Florence, Parma, Pisa, and Rome
made the city rich. Surviving landmarks include the
cathedral, completed in the 14th century, the impressive
ramparts (begun in the 1560s), and several fine 16th-
century palaces.
Lucretius Carus, Titus (c. 99–c. 55 BCE) Roman poet
Lucretius’s long philosophical poem De rerum natura (On
the nature of things) was known in the Middle Ages only
through excerpts. Poggio BRACCIOLINIdiscovered a com-
plete manuscript in 1417, but even after the text was
printed (c. 1473) suspicion of the author’s philosophy,
which is heavily indebted to the notorious EPICURUS, pre-
vented its attaining great influence. Giordano BRUNOwas
one of its few Renaissance followers, and Lucretius’s atom-
ism attracted some scientists, among them William
GILBERT.
Luini, Bernardino (c. 1481–1532) Italian painter
Little is known for certain about his early life and work
before 1512. He appears to have been influenced by Bra-
mantino and other Milanese artists, of whose school he
was a follower. At first he worked in a fresh and light-
hearted style, as demonstrated in the fresco fragments
from a villa at Monza, but his popularity in the 16th cen-
tury, and later with Victorians such as John Ruskin, was
chiefly due to his later works, which consisted of senti-
mentalized imitations of LEONARDO’s style. These survive
in large numbers, mainly in Milan.Luis de León, Fray (c. 1527–1591) Spanish poet, writer,
and translator
Born the eldest son of a judge at Belmonte, La Mancha,
Luis de León entered the university of Salamanca
(c. 1541), in which town he spent virtually his entire life,
and then joined the Augustinian order, taking vows in- He was elected to the chair of St. Thomas Aquinas
in 1561. After the decrees of the Council of TRENTwere
promulgated in Spain (1564), there was pressure to im-
pose orthodoxy on university teachers. For various rea-
sons (a translation of the Song of Songs made privately for
a cousin who was a nun, public criticism of the Vulgate
Bible, and perhaps even the fact that a great-grandmother
was a CONVERSA), Luis de León fell foul of the Inquisition
(he was secretly denounced by rival professors) and was
imprisoned (1572–76). Finally acquitted, he returned to
Salamanca, holding the chairs of moral philosophy (1578)
and biblical studies (1579). He became provincial of the
Augustinian order in Castile shortly before his death.
Luis de León’s 29 poems (not published until 1631)
were influenced by Virgil, Horace, and Neoplatonic phi-
losophy and are, like those of St. JOHN OF THE CROSS,
highly personal expressions. They include odes that are
among the best examples of the lira stanza introduced by
GARCILASO DE LA VEGA. In his lifetime Luis de León was
recognized as the greatest prose writer of his age. His mas-
terpiece, De los nombres de Cristo (1583), is a Platonic dis-
cussion of the scriptural names of Christ (the Way,
Shepherd, Bridegroom, etc.) in the form of a Ciceronian
dialogue which was composed while he was in prison. He
also wrote La perfecta casada (1583), a commentary on
chapter 31 of the Book of Proverbs expounding the duties
of a married woman. He was as fluent a writer in Latin as
in Spanish, and also translated works by the poets Pindar
and Tibullus, SENECA, Pietro BEMBO, and Giovanni DELLA
CASA.
Luis of Granada (Luis Sarriá) (1505–1588) Spanish
preacher and religious writer
After leaving his native Granada, he studied at Valladolid
before moving to Cordova (1534–45), where he restored
the Dominican convent and studied devotional works.
In 1547 he became prior at Badajoz, and about 1555 was
invited by Cardinal Infante (later King) Henry to Portu-
gal, where he was provincial of the Portuguese Domini-
cans (1556–60). Among his works were Libro de la oración
(1554) on prayer and meditation, Guía de pecadores
(1555), a guide to the Christian virtues for sinners, and
Memorial de la vida cristiana (1566) on the ascetic life. He
was influenced by both SAVONAROLAand ERASMUS, empha-
sized the importance of the inner life, and regarded reli-
gious ceremonies as unimportant. In 1559 the Libro deLLuuiiss ooff GGrraannaaddaa 2 28899