Altarpiece of the Virgin [central panel]: Virgin and Child

Altarpiece of the Virgin [central panel]: Virgin and Child

Titles

Altarpiece of the Virgin [central panel]: Virgin and Child

[cda 2017]

The Virgin and Child

[The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, revised 2015]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, revised 2015]

The Virgin and Child are shown in pensive, sombre mood, Mary in three-quarter view seated on the edge of a wooden frame, holding the nude infant on her lap.[1] A gnarled tree is at the right and a rocky landscape with a ruined castle at the upper left. The bare

The Virgin and Child are shown in pensive, sombre mood, Mary in three-quarter view seated on the edge of a wooden frame, holding the nude infant on her lap.[1] A gnarled tree is at the right and a rocky landscape with a ruined castle at the upper left. The bare foreground is covered with pebbles. Christ's left index finger points down.

[1] Christ points down to the pebbly, arid foreground, possibly alluding to the first steps of the Passion. This gesture is unique in Cranach's many depictions of the Child. The foreground may refer to Golgotha, while the wooden frame on which the Virgin and Child are seated suggests the entombment; the tree to the right, the wood of the Cross, and the ruined fortress at the upper left to the Old Dispensation. Christ's nudity may also refer to that of the Lamentation.

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 46, no. 1][Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, revised 2015]

Production date
about 1513 - 1514

Production date

about 1513 - 1514

[The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, revised 2015] [Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, 46, no. 1]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 122.94 x 92.35 cm (48.4 x 36.36 in.)

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 122.94 x 92.35 cm (48.4 x 36.36 in.)

  • [The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, revised 2015]

  • 121.9 x 90.9 cm (48 x 35 3/4 in.)

  • [Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels
  • bottom corners: the coats-of-arms of Saxony

Shield in lower left corner: Per fess sable and argent, two swords crossed in …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • bottom corners:
  • the coats-of-arms of Saxony

  • Shield in lower left corner: Per fess sable and argent, two swords crossed in saltire the points uppermost gules (for the Hereditary Office of grand Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire).

  • Shield in lower right corner: Barry of ten or and sable, a crown of rue in bend vert (for Saxony). The arms are of Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463-1525). [1]

  • [1] J. Siebmacher, 'Grosses und Allgemeines Wappenbuch von Dr. Otto Titan von Hefner, I, part I, Die Wappen der Deutschen Bundesstaaten, Nuremberg, 1856, 18, pl. 24

  • [Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Owner
The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, Tucson
Repository
The University of Arizona, Museum of Art, Tucson
Location
Tucson
CDA ID
US_UAMA_1961-013-004
FR (1978) Nr.
FR046
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/US_UAMA_1961-013-004/

Provenance

  • Frederick III of Saxony [1463-1525], known as the Wise, Elector of Saxony original commission; his coats of arms at lower left and lower right.
  • Maximilian Freiherr von Heyl [1844-1925], Darmstadt, by 1899 and still in 1904. [1]
  • 1917 Munich, Julius Böhler Gallerie [2]
  • Frau Direktor Albert Ullman by 1925. [3]
  • Paul Drey, New York from 1940
  • [4] sold to Samuel H. Kress [1863-1955] in 1948
  • gift to the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1961.

[1] Exhibited in Dresden, Cranach-Ausstellung, 1899, no. 116 and in Düsseldorf, Kunsthistorische Ausstellung, 1904, no. 214.
[2] [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 46]
[3] Exhibited in Städelschen Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, Ausstellung von Meisterwerken alter Malerei aus Privatbesitz, Summer 1925, no. 40.
[4] Exhibited Kansas City, Missouri, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery, Seventh Anniversary Exhibition of German, Flemish, and Dutch Painting, 1940-41, Cat. No. 12.
PSPC 1983: Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise; Maximilian Freiherr von Heyl, Darmstadt; Frau Direktor Albert Ullman; Paul Drey, NY; Kress acquisition 1948, UAMA since 1951.

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Exhibitions

Dresden 1899, no. 116
Düsseldorf 1904, no. 214
Frankfurt 1925, no. 40
New York, 1940-41, no. 12
Washington D.C. 1951, no. 86
Tucson 1951, no. 17
Washington D.C. 1962, no. 19
Düsseldorf 2017, no. 74

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Coburg 2018 56, 53 under no. 7
AuthorKlaus Weschenfelder
TitleCranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2018
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017 166 No. 74
EditorGunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Cranach. Meister - Marke - Moderne", Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, 08. April 2017 - 30. Juli 2017]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2017
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 91, 92
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 393 030 (under)
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 46, 47 (English version 22) 1 ( not exhibited) Pl- p. 47
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
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 78 46
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Cat. Kress Collection 1977 25-26 K 1595
AuthorColin T. Eisler
TitleComplete Catalogue of the Samuel H. Kress Collection. European Paintings excluding Italian
Place of PublicationOxford
Year of Publication1977
Link http://www.kressfoundation.org/uploadedFiles/Kress_Collection/European%20Paintings%20Excluding%20Italian.pdf
Eisler 1977 25, 26 Fig. 26
AuthorColin T. Eisler
TitlePaintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. European Schools Excluding Italian.
Place of PublicationOxford
Year of Publication1977
Exhib. Cat. Washington DC 1961 19
EditorNational Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.
TitleExhibition of art treasures for America from the Samuel H. Kress Collection , [National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC]
Place of PublicationWashington, DC
Year of Publication1961
Walker, Seymour 1961 86 Plate 78
AuthorJohn Walker, Charles Seymour
EditorNational Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.
TitleArt treasures for America. An anthology of paintings & sculpture in the Samuel H. Kress Collection
Place of PublicationLondon
Year of Publication1961
UAMA Tucson 1957 13 Fig.
AuthorWilhelm Suida
EditorThe University of Arizona, Museum of Art, Tucson
TitleThe Samuel H. Kress Collection at the University of Arizona
Place of PublicationTucson
Year of Publication1957
Exhib. Cat. Tucson 1951 17 Fig.
EditorThe University of Arizona, Museum of Art, Tucson
TitleTwenty-five paintings from the collection of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation at the University of Arizona., [University of Arizona, Tucson]
Place of PublicationTucson
Year of Publication1951
Exhib. Cat. Washington 1951 86 Fig.
EditorNational Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.
TitlePaintings and sculpture from the Kress collection, acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1945-1951., [National Gallery of Art, Washington DC]
Place of PublicationWashington, DC
Year of Publication1951
Link http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015013648640
Exhib. Cat. Kansas City 1940 012
EditorWilliam Rockhill Nelson Gallery, Kansas City
TitleSeventh Anniversary Exhibition of German, Flemish, and Dutch Painting, [William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City]
Place of PublicationKansas City
Year of Publication1940
Gardner 1940 8 Fig.
AuthorPaul Gardner
TitleNorthern Paintings 1400-1700
JournalArt News
IssueDec 1940
Year of Publication1940
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 37-38 041 Pl. 41
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
Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 1925 12 No. 40
AuthorGeorg Swarzenski
TitleAusstellung von Meisterwerken alter Malerei aus Privatbesitz: Sommer 1925 [Frankfurt, Städelsches Kulturinstitut]
Place of PublicationFrankfurt
Year of Publication1925
Glaser 1921 A 225
AuthorCurt Glaser
TitleLukas Cranach
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1921
Heyck 1908 67
AuthorEduard Heyck
TitleLukas Cranach
SeriesKünstlermonographien
Volume95
Place of PublicationBielefeld
Year of Publication1908
Link https://archive.org/details/lukascranach01heycgoog
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 1904 214
Editorn. a.
TitleKunsthistorische Ausstellung
Place of PublicationDüsseldorf
Year of Publication1904
Flechsig 1900 A 98-99, 282 No. 116
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Flechsig 1900 B 17
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleTafelbilder Lucas Cranachs d. Ä. und seiner Werkstatt
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/flechsig1900tafeln
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1899 116
EditorKarl Woermann
TitleDeutsche Kunstausstellung Dresden 1899. Abteilung Cranach-Ausstellung. Wissenschaftliches Verzeichnis der ausgestellten Werke
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1899
Link http://resolver.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/SBB00002A2400000000
Friedländer 1899 214, 246 116
AuthorMax J. Friedländer
TitleDie Cranach-Ausstellung in Dresden
JournalRepertorium für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue22
Year of Publication1899
Pages236-249
Siebmacher 1857 18 Plate 24
AuthorJ. Siebmacher
TitleGrosses und Allgemeines Wappenbuch von Dr. Otto Titan von Hefner
Place of PublicationNuremberg
Year of Publication1857

Research History / Discussion

The panel is the central panel of a triptych; the wings show St Catherine at the left and St Barbara at the right (both Brno, Czech republic, Moravska Galerie. [1]

[1] First reconstructed by Curt Glaser [Glaser 1921, 225], who mistakenly refers to the wings as having been cut down.

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

The panel was placed by Friedländer c. 1514 and given to Lucas Cranach the Elder; he described the painting as powerful in concept and richly colored.[1] Flechsig dated it c. 1513.[2] He noted that it cannot readily be placed in tlle development of Cranach in view of the very large scale of the figures and the unusually severe mood. He related the panel to the Adoration of the Magi at Gotha (Landesmuseum), where the Virgin and Child are somewhat similar in sentiment, and found it contemporary with the large altar in the Johanneskirche (by Neustadt a.d. Orla, 1513).[3] Heyck also commented on the somewhat uncharacteristic qualities of it, finding it 'Cranachish'.[4]

Glaser discovered that the painting was the central panel of a triptych, whose wings were then in the Liechtenstein Collection. He dated the panel c.1513-14.[5]

Friedländer and Rosenberg, following Flechsig's views very closely, dated it c. 1513; they pointed out derivation from Dürer's engraving of 1511, the Virgin and Child with a Pear (n.4I), and noted that 1513, the year in which it was probably painted, was the one in which Dürer sent several of his prints to Frederick the Wise.[6] They suggested that the unusually large size and somewhat flat, impersonal execution point to the Madonna and Child as being a workshop product.[7]

[1] Max J. Friedlander, review, 'Die Cranach-Ausstellung in Dresden', Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, XXII, 1899, p. 214, cat. no. 116, p. 246.

[2] Eduard Flechsig, Tafelbilder Lucas Cranachs d. Ä. und seiner Werkstatt, Leipzig, 1900, cat. no. 17.

[3] Eduard Flechsig, Cranachstudien, Leipzig, 1900, I, pp. 98-9, p. 282, cat. no. 116.

[4] E. Heyck, Lukas Cranach, Bielefeld-Leipzig, 1908, p. 67.

[5] Curt Glaser, Lukas Cranach, Leipzig, 1921, p. 225.

[6] Max J. Friedländer and Jakob Rosenberg, Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach, Berlin, 1932, p. 37, cat. no. 41; the wings are pp. 37-8, Cat. No. 42. Two other Dürer engravings might also be mentioned: n.35 of 1513 in which a similar wooden frame appears and D.43 of c. 1512.

[7] Friedländer-Rosenberg, op. cit., pp. 37-8.

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

  • Altarpiece of the Virgin [central panel]: Virgin and Child, about 1513 - 1514

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr

Technical studies

2017Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- thin (in the faces) to slightly broader lines, partially covered by the black painted line

- occasional hatching strokes

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and describe essential details and facial features; occasional hatching strokes represent volume

Deviations:

- minor corrections were made to forms during the painting process; small changes (e. g. on the Virgin‘s nose, the feet of the infant Christ and the tree in the background etc.)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2018]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

Conservation History

Date04. 2007

conservation treatment consisting of among others consolidation of the paint layers

Date1960

Flaking pigment secured and some restoration in 1957 and 1960

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Date1957

Flaking pigment secured and some restoration in 1957 and 1960

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Date1948 - 1949

Cradled in 1948-49

[Cat. Kress Collection 1977, 25, K1595]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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Entry with no author
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