Adam

- beech wood panel composed of two planks with vertical grain joined at 25.2 cm from the left at the bottom edge

- the panel is 1.2 cm thick

- dendrochronological analysis indicates that both boards came from the same tree; for each plank, the youngest growth ring dates from 1532; normally the entire width of the beech plank was used, with only the bark removed; hence, a felling date of 1532 is possible; allowing a minimum of one year for seasoning, the earliest possible use of the panel is 1533 [1]

- on the reverse, the join is covered with a wide band of coarse, matted fibers; the edges of the panel have been rabbeted on the back, forming a channel approximately 5 mm deep on all sides; at the top and bottom, the edges of this channel have been undercut at a slight angle; adze marks are visible on the roughly finished back, which is covered with black pigment, varnish and wax

[1] [Report by Peter Klein, June 28, 1999]

- cross-section analysis showed that the panel was prepared with a white chalk ground; there was no clear evidence of a priming layer, both in this painting and 'Eve', a medium-rich isolating layer was detected; the ground and paint layers extend to the edges of the panel at the sides; at the top and bottom edges, approximately 9 mm of wood is uncoated; the raised barbe here may have resulted from a clamping system used to hold the panel during the painting process

- no obvious underdrawing was detected with infrared reflectography, but faint traces of underdrawing in what appears to be red chalk are evident under magnification [1]

- double contours executed with greyish black paint were noted around the figure; at various points, the flesh paint extends over these lines; in other places, dark paint covers the edges of the figure, suggesting that the contour was selectively reinforced

[1]For this type of underdrawing as characteristic of Cranach see [Billinge et al. 1997, 29]

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]

• uncradled

• a vertical crack at 29 cm from the left at the bottom edge extends 4.5 cm upward

• beetle damage is evident at the lower left corner and along the left edge

• abrasion from the frame on both sides has been generously retouched

• several narrow vertical cracks in the paint layer along the grain at the centre above Adam's head, along the left edge, and at the centre between his feet have been inpainted; additional inpainting is scattered on the sky and the foliage, the top of the hair, to the left of the nose, his right arm, the abdomen, both legs, and his left foot

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]

• cleaned

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]

• cleaned

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]