The Ill-Matched Lovers

The Ill-Matched Lovers

Titles

The Ill-Matched Lovers

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 285B]

Unequal Couple

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 15]

A Mismatched Couple: Foolish Old Man and Young Temptress

[Cat. Prague 1988, 56]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 15]

A young woman is shown from the back. She embraces an old man and steals money from his purse, while smiling at the viewer over her shoulder.

[Görres, cda 2014]

Attributions
Werkstatt Lucas Cranach der Ältere
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Werkstatt Lucas Cranach der Ältere

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 15]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 285B]
[Cat. Prague 1998, 56]

Production date
1531

Production date

1531

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 49.4 x 34.1 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 49.4 x 34.1 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 15]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1531'.

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1531'.

  • [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 15]

Owner
Obrazárna Pražského hradu (Prague Castle Picture Gallery)
Repository
Obrazárna Pražského hradu (Prague Castle Picture Gallery)
Location
Prague
CDA ID
CZ_OPH_HS241
FR (1978) Nr.
FR285B
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_OPH_HS241/

Provenance

  • recorded in the inventory from 1685 as a work by Cranach
    [Cat. Prague 1998, 56]

  • also recorded in the inventories from 1718, 1757, 1763

  • 1990 stolen, 1998 returned to the museum
    [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 28, No. 15]

Exhibitions

  • Prague 2005, No. 15

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Chamonikola 2005 B 26 (English version 11)
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 84, 85 (English version 33-35, 39) 15 Pl. p. 85
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
Kotkova 2005 B 43 (English version 19, 20)
AuthorOlga Kotková
TitleLucas Cranach v Národní galerii v Praze- úvod k technologii obrazu/ Lucas Cranach at the National Gallery in Prague. Introduction to the painting technology
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
Pages42-44 (19-20)
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1998 56
AuthorEliska Fucikova
TitleObrazárna Prazského hradu. Pruvodce expozici
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1998
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 285B
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1962 XVIII
AuthorJaroslav Pešina
TitleAlt-deutsche Meister: Von Hans von Tübingen bis Dürer und Cranach
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1962
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 235c
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 1912 119
AuthorP. Bergner
TitleKatalog obrazárny v dome umelcu Rudolfinum v Praze
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1912
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1889 46
AuthorV. Barvitius
TitleKatalog obrazárny v dome umelcu Rudolfinum v Praze
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1889
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 109-110 387
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature
Burde 1827 30 5
AuthorJosef Burde
TitleLucas Kranachs Werke in Böhmen
Volume1
JournalMonatschrift der Gesellschaft des Vaterländischen Museums in Böhmen
Year of Publication1827
Pages30-36
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

'This is a painter's version of a Morality Play about a foolish old man whom a young girl pretends to love in order to get his money. [...] The theme appears repeatedly in the painter's work in many variations, and was a popular decorative painting in the homes of nobles and burghers. The demand of this sort of art was satisfied only with the help of Cranach's workshop, this is particularly visible in the execution of the drapery.'

[Cat. Prague 1998, 56]

  • The Ill-Matched Lovers, 1531

Images

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

Technical studies

06. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTIION

- an underdrawing is not readily visible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2014]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Conservation History

Date2005

  • conservation treatment by Zora Grohmanová

Date2001

minor restoration

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 7a]

  • conservation treatment by Martin Martan
  • conservation treatment by Josef Coban

Date1998

conservation of the frame

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 7a]

  • conservation treatment by Jan Boubín

Date1930 - 1931

  • conservation treatment by Adolf Belohoubek

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Ill-Matched Lovers', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_OPH_HS241/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Ill-Matched Lovers', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_OPH_HS241/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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