Christ Blessing the Children

Christ Blessing the Children

Title

Christ Blessing the Children

[Cat. Prague 2007, No. 17]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Klein Report, 08.04.2013]
[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 40, No. 17]

Christ stands in the centre of this rectangular composition, shifted slightly to the left of the central axis and surrounded by a crowd of mothers with their children. He holds one of the children in his arms and has placed his hand over another's stomach. The mothers crowd in on

Christ stands in the centre of this rectangular composition, shifted slightly to the left of the central axis and surrounded by a crowd of mothers with their children. He holds one of the children in his arms and has placed his hand over another's stomach. The mothers crowd in on him from either side. The apostles are visible in the top left corner and their defensive stance betrays their scepticism. In the bottom left corner there is an uidentified coat-of-arms.

[Görres, cda 2014]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, no. 20]
[Cat. Prague 2007, No. 17]

Lucas Cranach the Younger

'Rather L. Cranach the Younger' [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 362G]

Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016, No. 17]

Production dates
about 1538
after 1550

Production dates

about 1538

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, no. 20] [Cat. Prague 2007, No. 17]

after 1550

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016, No. 17]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 52.4 x 74.1 cm (includs addition of 3.5 cm on upper edge)

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 52.4 x 74.1 cm (includs addition of 3.5 cm on upper edge)

  • [cda 2014]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia top right: winged serpent with dropped wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia top right: winged serpent with dropped wings

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 40, No. 17]

Inscriptions and Labels

Top: 'LASSET DIE KINTLEIN ZV MIR KOMMEN. VND WERET INEN NICHT DEN SOLCHER IST DAS REICH GOTTES MARCI AM …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • Top:

  • 'LASSET DIE KINTLEIN ZV MIR KOMMEN. VND WERET INEN NICHT DEN SOLCHER IST DAS REICH GOTTES MARCI AM X.'

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 40, No. 17]

  • lower left:

  • donor's coat of arms, identified as that of the Kocka of Kocenstejn family. Kriz Kocka, burgher of Ústí nad Labem (d. 1546) and his sons Mattej Kocka of Kocenstejn (recorded in Ústí in 1581) and Jakub Kocka of Kocenstejn (who purchased a house in Prague in 1551 and is documented as 'hofrychtér' (deputy to the vice-chamberlain) in 1560 and 1575). The brothers probably acquired the right to a coat of arms in 1550 (Micheala Hrubá, 2015).

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016, 129]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Verso of the panel: - paper label (from the early 20th century?): 'cat. no. 4'

    • on the frame: 'N: 82'

  • [Cat. Prague 2007, No. 17]

Owner
Národní galerie v Praze (National Gallery in Prague)
Repository
Národní galerie v Praze (National Gallery in Prague)
Location
Prague
CDA ID
CZ_NGP_DO4238
FR (1978) Nr.
FR362G
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_NGP_DO4238/

Provenance

  • 1819 first recorded in the Nostitz Picture Gallery
  • entered the collection of the National Gallery Prague in 1945 from the Nostitz Collection

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 40, No. 17]

Exhibitions

Prague 2005, no. 20
Prague 2016, no. 17

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 36, 37, 124-130 17 Figs. pp. 36, 124, 125, 126, 128
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Show Literature
Görres, Heydenreich, Kotková 2016 10 17
AuthorOlga Kotková, Gunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres
TitleIntroduction
Publicationin Olga Kotková, ed., Cranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides., Exhib. Cat. Prague
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages11-17
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 2007 43 17
AuthorOlga Kotková
TitleNational Gallery in Prague. German and Austrian Painting of the 14th - 16th Centuries. Illustrated Summary Catalogue II/1
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Chamonikola 2005 B 28 (English version 12, 13)
AuthorKaliopi Chamonikola
TitleLucas Cranach a ceské zeme/ Lucas Cranach and the Czech Lands
Publicationin Kaliopi Chamonikola, ed., Pod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme, Under the winged Serpent, Lucas Cranach and the Czech Lands, Exhib. Prague 2005
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Pages13-33 (6-15)
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 96, 97 (English version 38, 39) 20 Pl. p. 97
EditorObrazárna Pražského hradu, Kaliopi Chamonikola
TitlePod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme. Under the winged Serpent. Lucas Cranach and the Czech Land
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Vlnas 2002
AuthorVit Vlnas
TitleNovokrtenci v Münsteru
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2002
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1988 129 286
EditorJ. Mašín
TitleStaré evropské umení. Sbírky Národní galerie v Praze. Sternberský palác
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1988
Show Literature
Andersson 1981 59
AuthorChristiane D. Anderson
TitleReligiöse Bilder Cranachs im Dienste der Reformation
Publicationin L.W. Spitz, ed., Humanismus und Reformation als kulturelle Kräfte in der Deutschen Geschichte
Place of PublicationBerlin, New York
Year of Publication1981
Pages43-76
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 143 362G
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Sofia 1970 4
AuthorJaromír Šíp
TitleEvropeisko izkustvo ot pražskata Narodna galeria. Nacionalna chudožestvena galeria
Place of PublicationSofia
Year of Publication1970
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1962 16
AuthorJaroslav Pešina
TitleAlt-deutsche Meister: Von Hans von Tübingen bis Dürer und Cranach
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1962
Show Literature
Ozarowska Kibish 1955 198
AuthorChristine Ozarowska Kibish
TitleLucas Cranach's Christ blessing the children. A problem of Lutheran iconography
JournalThe Art Bulletin
Issue37
Year of Publication1955
Pages196-203
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1949 14 91
AuthorJaroslav Pešina, J. Mašín
TitleNarodni galerie v Praze. Sbirka stareho umeni
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1949
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 83 291f
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1905 10 39
AuthorP. Bergner
TitleVerzeichniß der gräflich Nostitzschen Gemälde-Galerie zu Prag
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1905
Show Literature
Frimmel 1892 132
AuthorTheodor von Frimmel
TitleKleine Galeriestudien I
Place of PublicationBamberg
Year of Publication1892
Show Literature
Würbs 1864 6 27
AuthorC. Würbs
TitleVerzeichniß der Gräflich Nostitzschen Gemälde-Galerie in Prag
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1864
Show Literature
  • Christ Blessing the Children, about 1538

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
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  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
  • detail

Documents

Technical studies

06. 2014Technical Examination

  • reverse

Support

- panel thinned and cradled

- batten 3.5 cm in width attached to the top edge

- bevelled on left and right edges

[cda 2014]

06. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared Reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- an autonomous underdrawing is not readily visible; possibly executed employing a fluid, black medium and a brush?

Type/Ductus:

- cannot be defined

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2014]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Identification of wood species: limewood

[Klein, report 2013]

  • examined by Peter Klein

Conservation History

Date17.11.1948

  • conservation treatment by Karel Verselý

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_NGP_DO4238/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_NGP_DO4238/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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