Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von Cleve: Johann Friedrich

Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von Cleve: Johann Friedrich

Title

Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von Cleve: Johann Friedrich

[cda, 2015]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Lindenau Museum Altenburg, revised 2015]

A half-length portrait depicting the elector in half profile, facing to the right against a light blue background. His hands are folded and rest on his lap.

[cda 2015]

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Lindenau Museum Altenburg, revised 2015]

Production date
about 1533 - 1535

Production date

about 1533 - 1535

[Lindenau Museum Altenburg, revised 2015]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 20.8 x 14.5 x 0.3 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 20.8 x 14.5 x 0.3 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 28.1 cm x 44.8 cm x 3.2 cm

  • [Lindenau Museum Altenburg, revised 2015]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel: - lower half:
in white paint: 'St. L. M. [/] 356'

  • at the centre:
    circular …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel: - lower half:

  • in white paint: 'St. L. M. [/] 356'

    • at the centre:
  • circular stamp

  • [cda, 2015]

Owner
Lindenau-Museum Altenburg
Repository
Lindenau-Museum Altenburg
Location
Altenburg
CDA ID
DE_LMA_356
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_LMA_356/

Provenance

  • transferred before 1950 from Altenburg castle
    [Lindenau Museum Altenburg, revised 2015]

Exhibitions

Altenburg 2014, p. 289

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Altenburg 2014 289
EditorArmin Kohnle, Christina Mecklenburg, Uwe Schirmer
TitleGeorg Spalatin. Steuermann der Reformation, Begleitband zur Ausstellung 'Georg Spalatin - Steuermann der Reformation', [Altenburg, Residenzschloss und Stadtkirche St. Bartholomäi]
Place of PublicationAltenburg
Year of Publication2014
  • Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von Cleve: Johann Friedrich, about 1533 - 1535

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • reverse

Technical studies

Support

- single wooden plank

- wide bevel on the reverse

- black coating (later ?)

Ground and Imprimatura

- incised lines in the ground c. 0.5 -1 cm from the the edge of the panel

[cda, 2015]

Conservation History

Date25.07.2014

The panel depicting Elector Johann Friedrich is also stable and slightly warped. Here the appearance is also compromised by a yellowed varnish. In the light background the varnish is streaky and its application varies in thickness, abrasion with damage to the original paint layers is also apparent. There are also retouchings and overpainted areas, particularly along the unpainted edges of the panel. The flesh paint is more or less intact and only exhibits a few small losses. In particular there are large losses in the background next to the right ear.

The elector's robe is relatively intact. There only appear to be losses on the right hand and the fur-trimming.

The yellowed varnish and old retouchings were removed with a solvent mixture of ethanol and acetone. The retouchings along the edge of the panel were less affected. These had to be removed mechanically under the microscope. After the varnish and retouchings had been removed the extent of the damage was revealed with numerous small losses and abrasion of the very thin paint layers. Particularly in the blue background where the paint layers were in part so thin that the light ground shows through. [...]

The edges of the panel are not painted beyond the incised lines. The paint application ends in this area, leaving the ground exposed.

After the varnish and retouchings were removed the losses where the wood was exposed were filled. The the abraded areas and the fills were retouched with gouache paint. Then a new natural-resin varnish was applied. Isolated abraded areas were adjusted employing glazes with Gamblin Conservation Colors.

Small losses and scratches on the frame were retouched with gouache paint. Abrasion on the gold profile was reintegrated with gold power bound in wax. The panel was fixed in its frame employing steel pins, which were separated from the reverse of the panel by an acid-free board.

see also pdf

  • conservation treatment by Johannes Schaefer

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von …', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_LMA_356/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Diptych with the Portraits of Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503 - 1554) and his wife Sibylle von …', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_LMA_356/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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