The action takes place in the last part of Lucrezia's life,when she was duchess of Ferrara ;her notorious brother Cesar was dead then and yet does not appear even though the sister hints at him while taking a flask of poison.At the time ,lucrezia was essentially a patron,protecting the artists. And artists does appear in this story in which an unauthorized statue plays a prominent part ;while her husband is at war,Lucrezia is wooed by many gallant men ,who praises her beauty through their poetry ,their sculptures ,or their paintings.. Lucrezia ,who was, before they died, a pawn in her father's and brother's game ,appears as a victim of her stunning beauty ,which caused so many deaths ,and brought many ghosts around her bed .