St Mary Magdalene

St Mary Magdalene

Title

St Mary Magdalene

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

The painting depicts Mary Magdalene as a full-length figure stepping forwards, wearing courtly clothing and holding the ointment jar in her hands. The pretty young woman's reddish blond hair hangs loose and is covered by an almost invisible veil. She wears a choker set with precious stones and two chains

The painting depicts Mary Magdalene as a full-length figure stepping forwards, wearing courtly clothing and holding the ointment jar in her hands. The pretty young woman's reddish blond hair hangs loose and is covered by an almost invisible veil. She wears a choker set with precious stones and two chains around her neck. A hedge separates her elegant figure from the expansive landscape with deer in the background. In the distance the ascension of the saint into heaven is shown.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Hans Cranach

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

Hans Cranach

[Flechsig 1900 A, 253]

Production date
1525

Production date

1525

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimension of support: 48.7 x 31 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimension of support: 48.7 x 31 cm

  • Dimension of painted surface: 47.8 x 30 cm

  • [Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia and date bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings, facing right, and dated '1525'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia and date bottom left: winged serpent with elevated wings, facing right, and dated '1525'

  • [cda 2013]

Owner
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Köln
Repository
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Köln
Location
Cologne
CDA ID
DE_WRMK_WRM390
FR (1978) Nr.
FR168
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_WRMK_WRM390/

Provenance

  • unknown private collection
  • auction about 1800
  • collection of Johann Abraham Anton Schaaffhausen (1756-1824), Cologne
  • 1867 purchased, donated by Mrs. Therese Schaaffhausen, Cologne

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

Exhibitions

  • Berlin 1937, No. 49
  • Cologne 2003
  • Frankfurt 2007, No. 56

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007 230-231 56 p. 231
EditorBodo Brinkmann
TitleCranach der Ältere, [Frankfurt, Städel Museum, 23 Nov 2007 - 17 Feb 2008]
Place of PublicationOstfildern
Year of Publication2007
Heydenreich 2007 A 294 234
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleLucas Cranach the Elder
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication2007
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/6116/2097/3099/Heydenreich_2007_Lucas_Cranach_the_Elder.pdf
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 72, 73 (English version 31) under no. 10 Fig. p. 73
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
Krischel 2003 6-7
AuthorRoland Krischel
TitleCranach in Köln. Zum 450. Todestag des Schnellmalers von Wittenberg
JournalKölner Museums-Bulletin
Issue2
Year of Publication2003
Pages4-22
Schaefer, Saint-George 2003 26-27
AuthorIris Schaefer, Caroline von Saint-George
TitleZur Unterzeichnung von Gemälden Lucas Cranachs d.Ä. und seines Umkreises im Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Foundation Corboud
JournalKölner Museums-Bulletin
Issue2
Year of Publication2003
Pages23-38
Budde, Krischel 2000 96-97
EditorRainer Budde, Roland Krischel
TitleDas Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. Hundert Meisterwerke von Simone Martini bis Edvard Munch
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2000
Haskins 1998 298
AuthorS. Haskins
TitleMary Magdalen - Myth and Metaphor
Place of PublicationLondon
Year of Publication1998
Zehnder, Kier 1998 51
EditorF. G. Zehnder, Hiltrud Kier
TitleLust und Verlust II. Corpus-Band zu Kölner Gemäldesammlungen 1800-1860
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1998
Stepanov 1997
AuthorAlexander Stepanov
TitleLucas Cranach the Elder 1472-1553. Translated from the Russian by Paul Williams
Place of PublicationBournmouth
Year of Publication1997
Exhib. Cat. Cologne 1995 591
EditorF. G. Zehnder, Hiltrud Kier
TitleLust und Verlust. Kölner Sammler zwischen Tricolore und Preußenadler [Cologne, Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle, 28 Dec 1995 - 28 Jan 1996]
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1995
Klein 1994 A 195
AuthorPeter Klein
TitleLucas Cranach und seine Werkstatt. Holzarten und dendrochronologische Analyse
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
Pages194-200
Hinz 1993 90-91
AuthorBerthold Hinz
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationReinbek near Hamburg
Year of Publication1993
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 168
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Cat. Cologne 1969 43-44
AuthorIrmgard Hiller
TitleKatalog der deutschen und niederländischen Gemälde bis 1550. Kataloge des Wallraf-Richartz-Museums, V
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1969
Signon 1965 71-72
AuthorH. Signon
TitleTiere in Galerie und Gatter
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1965
Thöne 1965 6
AuthorFriedrich Thöne
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere
SeriesDie blauen Bücher
Place of PublicationKönigstein i. Taunus
Year of Publication1965
Emminghaus 1964 64, 67-68
AuthorJ. H. Emminghaus
TitleMaria Magdalena
Place of PublicationRecklinghausen
Year of Publication1964
Brückner 1963 32
AuthorWolfgang Brückner
TitleConrad Faber von Creuznach
Place of PublicationFrankfurt
Year of Publication1963
Lobeck 1959 25-28
AuthorH. Lobeck
TitleVon Lochner zur Gegenwart
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1959
Posse 1942 59 61
AuthorHans Posse
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1942
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 25 049 Pl. 51
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 143
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
Gronau 1918/1919 29 17
AuthorGeorg Gronau
TitleDreißig ausgewählte Werke des Wallraf-Richartz-Museums der Stadt Köln
Place of PublicationKassel
Year of Publication1918
Friedländer 1913 B 16
AuthorMax J. Friedländer
TitleDie deutsche Malerei von Meister Wilhelm von Köln bis Adam Elsheimer
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1913
Flechsig 1900 A 253-254
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Schuchardt 1871 142-143 29
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Dritter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1871
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1871bd3
Merlo 1867 25-26
AuthorJ. J. Merlo
TitleEin Gemälde von L. C.
JournalOrgan für christliche Kunst
Issue17
Year of Publication1867
Pages25-26
  • St Mary Magdalene, 1525

Images

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Technical studies

02. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- initial design executed with a dry drawing material, dark chalk (?); continued employing a fluid, black medium; brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand schematic underdrawing (where visible)

- fine, thin lines (initial design), combined with thin to broader brushstrokes employing a fluid medium

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines define the contours of the figures and indicate facial features and details; the broad lines are more sketchy; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- almost no adjustments made during the painting process; changes (e. g. the animals in the background, the pattern on the dress has been shifted slightly in the chest region

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder or workshop

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich cda 2014]

2003Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Underdrawing

- clearly visible underdrawing in the outer garments, slightly shifted in the painted version

- the dark lively lines are applied in different widths

- the ductus suggests the use of a pen with which lines were often repeated

- thin lines are also visible in the area of the oinment jar and the outer contours of the right sleeve

- short, arched pen lines also visible in the background

- the comparatively sparse underdrawing could be explained by the fact that the painted version deviates only minimally from the underdrawing

- nevertheless there is a freehand underdrawing of two animal scenes in the background

[Schaefer, Saint-George 2003, 27]

  • examined by Iris Schaefer
  • examined by Caroline von Saint-George

1993Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • created by Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Köln

Condition Reports

Date1969

  • large discoloured retouching in the sky on the join at the left

  • at the bottom of the join there are small retouches

  • at the bottom right edge there is a large reconstruction

  • the paint of the sailing ship in the background on the right is abraded

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 43-44]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'St Mary Magdalene', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_WRMK_WRM390/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'St Mary Magdalene', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_WRMK_WRM390/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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