The Adoration of the Magi

- not original, 19th century

- hardwood, verneer

- mortise and tenon join, mitred at the front; the flat surface is verneered and the profile is painted black; the inlay is arched at the top, painted black and the inner edge has a profiled rebate with a matt gilded finish.

[Museum der bildende Künste, revised 2014]

- limewood [1]; no knots, tangential cut

- three vertically aligned boards (23 cm; 11,2 cm; 15,4 cm)

- butt joints

- no contemporary treatment for damage; the joins do not appear to have been reinforced

- horizontal and vertical marks from a block plane visible; there is a 7 cm bevell on three sides, excepting the the top edge where vertical block plane marks are visible (see raking light image of the reverse)

- trimmed along the top edge (later)

[1] See Klein Report 2013

- thin, white ground layer, probably glue-chalk (not tested)

- the panel appears to have been fixed in a temporary work-frame (or temporary battens were attached at the top and bottom) during the application of ground and paint layers. Along the vertical edges the ground extends to the edge of the panel. Here occasional small bulges of ground have been preserved, in part they go beyond the edge. The upper edge of the panel has been trimmed by c. 7 cm. A barbe is only visible along the bottom edge where c. 4-5mm of wood was left exposed.

- bottom edge: marks on the bare wood (probably marks for the saw). along both outer edges and the semi-circle: incisions in the ground to fix the size of the image.

- no marks from tools; no imprimatur

- freehand drawing with a quill

- visible with the naked eye in the areas of the flesh paint and partially in the landscape

- in the background lines for the stable roof and the posts were drawn with a ruler

- small alterations are visible in the heads of the group in the background on the right, in the legs of Christ; otherwise the painted version is more or less identical

- there is no indication that any mechanical method to transfer the design was employed

Order of paint layers:

- greyish-blue underpaint beneath the blue paint layer of the sky; the application for the semi-circular arch (monochrome) is achieved employing blue paint over a dark grey layer (opaque)

Sequence:

-The composition was sketched on the white ground with greyish-brown paint of varying transparency. The flesh paint was held in reserve. The subsequent painting adhered strictly to the design of the underdrawing. It often clips zones like the robe, the sky and the heads of figures with sharp edges. The flesh paint is a simple layer structure: economical undermodelling of shadows and forms are essentially described by contours, that alternate between hard and soft ; economic use of highlights. The architcture and the foreground are painted wet-in-wet employing various brown tones. These are semi-transparent allowing the brushstrokes from the underpaint to show through. Highlights and contours are also applied to the wet brown paint, and in part blurred. The coloured robes were painted wet-in-wet, with a monochrome underpaint, the are shadows darker and finished with glazes. Contours, hightlights and grass are in part applied with an impasto technique with a pointed brush (probably tempera).

Paint application:

- brushstrokes, in part dabbed, glazed, highlights and contours impasto application

Brush width:

- pointed and small flat brushes

Paint application beyond the edge of the ground layer:

- top: rounded arch clipped by a black line. Azurite (only examined under the stereomicroscope) was probably employed in the admixture to paint the neighbouring monochrome zone (in places overpainted). The paint layers extend to the edge of the panel on the left and right sides, see image.

- there are no fingerprints, alterations or gilding

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black pigmented medium, pointed brush; probably starting with a very diluted medium

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- fine lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and define inner forms; shorter, frequently crescent-shaped lines describe the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations were made during the painting process to clearly define forms

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

Generally in good condition.

Support:

• the panel exhibits a slight convex curve. Trimmed at the top (c. 7 cm), at the left and bottom edges the original dimensions are preserved; the right edge is in part damaged and has been reworked (but the original dimensions have to a greater extent been retained. The joins are stable.

Paint layers/ground:

• fine network of craquelée caused by age, more apparent in the green garments. Transparent highlights in the brown tones and the flesh paint. Fine drying cracks in the dark areas of the Virgin's robe. The retouches and small amounts of overpaint to the left of the coat-of-arms (on the wall) have developed a distinctive craquelée - a large loss at the bottom centre to the left of the hat has been filled and retouched.

• the green garments have been glazed over with a thin glaze (see UV image), in part small fills and retouches. Top: the monochrome background (arch) has been completely overpainted; on the right past cleaning tests are visible.

• retouching, overpaint yellowed and darkened. The green glaze has become brown.

Varnish:

• no original varnish. Varying surface gloss, partially cleaned. The varnish is thinner on the flesh paint, the sky as well as the green garments and the Virgin's robe in the central scene. In UV: retouches and overpaint appear darker.

[Museum für bildende Künste, revised 2014]

"Overcleaned in spots, especially in the Virgin's face"

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978, 79, No. 49B]

Acta Restaurierung IV - 1924-1932 ; Blätter 6.-29. Treatment report by Walter Kühn, Leipzig [August 1925]. 397) 'Anbetung der heiligen 3 Könige' von Cranach d. Ä. [Inv.-Nr. 24] gereinigt, mit Terpentin abgerieben, regeneriert [mit roter Tinte:] 'F[irnis]. bleibt matt, ölig. / [zur Signatur:] nach Katalog bez. r. am Baumstamm mit Schlange. ' Kann dies nicht finden. (Adoration of the Magi' by Cranach the Elder [Inv. No. 24] cleaned with terpentine, regenerated [with red ink] 'V[arnish] remained matt, oily/ [concerning the signature] which according to the catalogue is represented by a winged serpent on the tree trunk. Can't find it."

Inventarbucheintragungen MdbK N° 24 - Restaurierungen: Restauriert von A.Hauser, Berlin, im April 189. (Restoration: restored by A. Hauser, Berlin, April 1891) (Letter in the file Inv. Nr. 24) Acte III, S. 1,2 ; 1925 v. W. Kühn,IV, S.4

[Museum der bildende Künste, revised 2014]

[Acta, betreff das Gemälde-Restauriren, Bd. III, 1, 2, Museum der bildenden Künste-Archiv][1]

[1][Stuhr, Exhib. Cat. Leipzig, Bonn, Stuttgart 1994, 58]

Acta Restaurierung III - 1890-1923; Blatt 34: Letter from Alois Hauser to the director Theodor Schreiber, Berlin 18.1.1891, paper with the embossed stamp of the Königliche Museen Berlin. "... Der Kranach ist ebenfalls sehr klar und emailleartig in der Farbe geworden; das Bild ist wohl von dem jüngeren Kranach oder einem Schüler, aber es hat doch sehr hübsche Einzelheiten, namentlich in der Landschaft. Das Bild hatte sehr viele Beschädigungen und verriebne Stellen und ich habe dasselbe jetzt nur sehr schwach gefirnißt. Sollte es stark einschlagen, so könnte es ja nach einigen Monaten dort nochmals gefirnißt werden.... (the colours of Kranach have also become very clear and enamell-like; the painting is probably by the younger Cranach or an assistant, but it has very pretty details, particularly in the landscape. The painting exhibits extensive damage and abraded areas, therefore I have only applied a thin layer of varnish. It it should sink it could be varnished again a few months later...)" Restoration costs for the paintings entrusted to him: 4) The Adoration of the Magi (from Dr. Lampe) [Inv.-No. 24] c. 80 M, he apologizes for the delayed completion as he was snowed under with work, adding that it won't last much longer.

List and invoice of the treatments carried out between 1890 and 1891, without a date. Cranach'sche School [Inv.-No. 24] } [H. Restorer Hauser] 36 Mark