Christ blessing the children

Christ blessing the children

Title

Christ blessing the children

[Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]
[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 144]

Christ stands at 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 at 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.

[Görres, cda 2017]

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]

Production date
about 1535 - 1538

Production date

about 1535 - 1538

[cda 2017]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 43.5 x 73.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 43.5 x 73.5 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 63 x 88.5 x 5.5 cm

  • [Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent, but in style not typical for Cranach workshop

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia bottom right: winged serpent, but in style not typical for Cranach workshop

  • [Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]

Inscriptions and Labels

Upper edge: 'LAST DIE KINDLIN ZU MIR KOMEN UND WERET INEN NICHT DENN SOLCHER IST DAS REICH GOTTES MARCI …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • Upper edge:

  • 'LAST DIE KINDLIN ZU MIR KOMEN UND WERET INEN NICHT DENN SOLCHER IST DAS REICH GOTTES MARCI AM X'

  • [Maria Winner/Sarah Klein, Augsburg, 21. Nov. 2016]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse:

  • label: handwritten transcription of the inscription on the verso

  • label: inventory number

  • label: inventory number, title, artist and date

Owner
Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg
Repository
Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg
Location
Augsburg
CDA ID
DE_KMSA_3609
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMSA_3609/

Provenance

Formerly in the town hall of Augsburg
[Kunstsammlungen und Museen der Stadt Augsburg, revised 2016]

Research History / Discussion

See the following for further references to the subject, although the present painting is not mentioned: Volker Westphal, Zum Gemälde des Lucas Cranach d. Ä.: Christus segnet die Kinder, in: Weltkunst XLI, 1971 (1. March), p. 226, fig. s. 181. The painting described exhibits the same composition as the present painting, showing Christ with his arm stretched down to the left, while he turns towards the woman bending down on his right. Whereas the Christ figure depicted in the other type bends his right arm to the right and touches a second child with his hand. The woman at the right in the foreground shown from the reverse belongs to this second type. Kunsthalle Hamburg (Koller-Auction May 1977, No. 5079).

[Maria Winner/Sarah Klein, Augsburg, 21. Nov. 2016]

  • Christ blessing the children, about 1535 - 1538

Images

Compare images
  • overall

Technical studies

21.11.2016Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Support

Panel: limewood (?); consists of four horizontally aligned boards; probably trimmed on three sides: the painted edge has only been preserved on the right edge

Reverse: cradled, thinned, no plane marks

Ground and Imprimatura

- pale chalk ground

Paint Layers and Gilding

The surface of the painting is smooth, the paint was generally applied in numerous layers - a slightly impastois evident in sections. Material: egg tempera. The difference in quality between the flesh paint and the draperies is striking.

Framing

New frame from the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century, probably fitted when the panel was cradled

wood: oak, bare wooden profiles with metal ornamentation

  • examined by Maria Winner
  • examined by Sarah Klein

Condition Reports

Date21.11.2016

Reverse: worm channels

Paint layers: fine cracquelée, the paint layers are abraded in the the green robe of the bearded man at the left edge, the varnish has a matte appearance in the green dress of the woman to the right of Christ and there are some retouches along the joint and the shoulder of the child in Christ's arm. The ground is visible in the head of the man at the right edge. Isolated scratches and smal damages in the paint layers.

  • written by Maria Winner
  • written by Sarah Klein

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/DE_KMSA_3609/ (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/DE_KMSA_3609/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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