Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amount of wheat [verso top], St Nicholas saving three knight from death penalty [verso bottom]

Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amount of wheat [verso top], St Nicholas saving three knight from death penalty [verso bottom]

Title

Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amount of wheat [verso top], St Nicholas saving three knight from death penalty [verso bottom]

[cda 2015]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[cda 2015]

Recto: a full-length representation of St Valentine in bishop's vestments. With a blessing he cured the sick child lying at his feet. The mother of the child kneels in prayer behind his cushion. An expansive landscape is visible beyond a low wall in the background. The panel has a half-rounded

Recto: a full-length representation of St Valentine in bishop's vestments. With a blessing he cured the sick child lying at his feet. The mother of the child kneels in prayer behind his cushion. An expansive landscape is visible beyond a low wall in the background. The panel has a half-rounded top above which organic ornamentation is visible. In imitation of the carved figures in the central shrine the artist represents the figure like a statue standing on a pedestal. When open the altar shows scenes with St Valentine and two other saints who were popes.

Verso: the reverse of the wing shows two scenes from the life of St Nicolas. These belong to four episodes from the legend of the saint, that together with four further depictions from the lives of other Religious role models are visible when the altar is closed. The upper field shows the miracle of the wheat. The legend reports that 100 bushels of flour were enough for Nicholas to feed the starving for a month. When the captain who had donated the 100 bushels arrived at his destination the weight of the load had not changed. In the lower field Nicholas saves three innocent knights from being condemned to death and also helped to liberate other innocent prisoners by appearing to the emperor in a dream.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attribution
Master of the Döbeln Altarpiece

Attribution

Master of the Döbeln Altarpiece

[cda 2012]
[Cat. Hamburg 1915, 10] [Sandner 1993, 101, 140] [1]
[1] [Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 298]

Production date
about 1515 - 1516

Production date

about 1515 - 1516

[Sandner 1993, 53]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support including frame: 282 x 116.8 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support including frame: 282 x 116.8 cm

  • [cda 2015]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
Repository
St. Nicolaikirche Döbeln
Location
Döbeln
CDA ID
DE_ND_ND001e
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ND_ND001e/

Provenance

  • since its creation it has been located in the chancel of the church of St. Nicolai in Döbeln
    [cda 2015]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Eisenach 1998 237- 239 23.6c3 Figs. 23.6c2, 23.6c3
EditorWartburg-Stiftung, Eisenach, Fachhochschule , Ingo Sandner
TitleUnsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen. Ausstellungskatalog und Tagungsband Katalogteil 1; 2: Werkstatt und Schüler Cranachs; 3: Süddeutsche Meister; 4: Albrecht Dürer und sein Kreis; 5: Rheinische Meister
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages229-240
Show Literature
Sandner, Ritschel 1994 188, 190 Figs. A124, A125
AuthorIngo Sandner, Iris Ritschel
TitleArbeitsweise und Maltechnik Lucas Cranachs und seiner Werkstatt
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds., Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages186-193
Show Literature
Sandner 1993 101, 143-146 21, 22a-b, 23a-d
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleSpätgotische Tafelmalerei in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden, Basel
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Gurlitt 1903 20-22
AuthorCornelius Gurlitt
TitleBeschreibende Darstellung der älteren Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler des Königreichs Sachsen, 25. Heft: Amtshauptmannschaft Döbeln
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1903
Show Literature

Connected Works

Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [inner movable wing, left]: Holy Pope blessing
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [inner movable wing, left]: Holy Pope blessing, about 1515 - 1516
  • DE_ND_ND001b
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [inner movable wing, left]: Holy Pope
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [inner movable wing, left]: Holy Pope, about 1515 - 1516
  • DE_ND_ND001c
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, left]: St Eramus [recto], St Nicholas throws a piece of gold into a poor man's window [verso top], St Nicholas pours oil into the sea [verso bottom]
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, left]: St Eramus [recto], St Nicholas throws a piece of gold into a poor man's window [verso top], St Nicholas pours oil into the sea [verso bottom], about 1515 - 1516
  • DE_ND_ND001d
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [fixed wing, left]: St Job in distress [top], St Martin parting his gown [bottom]
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [fixed wing, left]: St Job in distress [top], St Martin parting his gown [bottom], about 1515 - 1516
  • DE_ND_ND001f
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [fixed wing, right]: St Roche [top], St George [bottom]
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [fixed wing, right]: St Roche [top], St George [bottom], about 1515 - 1516
  • DE_ND_ND001g
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Döbeln
  • Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amount of wheat [verso top], St Nicholas saving three knight from death penalty [verso bottom], about 1515 - 1516

Images

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

Technical studies

04. 2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr
  • irr

Underdrawing

St Valentine [recto]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted to the lower left section of the painting)

Tools/Material:

- the initial rough design was executed with a hard drawing implement, black chalk?; followed by a fluid, black drawing medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

- fine hatching-strokes (only in the faces)

Function:

- only in part binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and decribe the forms within shapes and facial features; in the faces volume is represented with hatching-strokes

Deviation:

- adjustments were made to the forms during the painting process; numerous small changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

The miraculous multiplication of the wheat [verso, top]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted tot he lower and central sections of the painting)

Tools/Material:

- the initial rough design was executed with a hard drawing implement, black chalk?; over this a fluid, black drawing medium was employed with a brush

Type/Ductus:

-loose and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader

Function:

- only roughly binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and describe the forms within shapes and facial features; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- forms were adjusted and reworked during the painting process; numerous larger and smaller changes; the group of houses at the left were not considered in the initial design

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

Nicolaus saves three innocent condemned knights [verso, bottom]

DESCRIPTION

(the evaluation is restricted to a detail)

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black drawing medium, brushes

Type/Ductus:

- loose and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours and describe the forms within shapes and facial feature; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- adjustments were made to forms during the painting process; numerous small changes

INTERPRETATION

Attributions:

- Master of the Döbeln Highaltar (Valentin Elner?)

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2016]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Conservation History

Date1999 - 2002

Treatment:

  • surface cleaning

  • consolidation of the paint layers

  • conservation of damages wood including identification and reattachment of broken elements, partial reconstruction of missing elements

  • concept developed to reconstruct the original coloration

  • original coatings uncovered on the carved elements and partially reintegrated with the later coatings

  • varnish removal on the painted panels

  • filling and retouching of losses in the paint layers

[http://anke-stenzel.de/referenzen/holzobjekte.htm; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

  • conservation treatment by Anke Stenzel

Date1971 - 1975

Conservation treatment

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

  • conservation treatment by Unknown

Date1918 - 1920

Conservation treatment

[http://www.kirchgemeinde-doebeln.de/index.php/nicolai/altar; accessed 11 Aug 2015]

  • conservation treatment by Unknown

Date1885 -

Conservation treatment, paint layers retouched

[Sandner 1993, 143]

  • conservation treatment by Unknown

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amou…', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ND_ND001e/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Altarpiece of St Nicolai church Döbeln [outer movable wing, right]: St Valentin [recto], St Nicholas increasing the amou…', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ND_ND001e/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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