Law and Grace

Law and Grace

Titles

Law and Grace

[Schaefer, Saint-George 2003, 32-35]

Fall of Man and Salvation

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Painting on spruce wood

Medium

Painting on spruce wood

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

The tree at the centre separates the worlds of the Old and New Covenant. On one side the branches are bare, on the other side leaved. The Old Testament man (foreground, left), who was driven out of Paradise (background, left) and then condemned by the law (represented by Moses with

The tree at the centre separates the worlds of the Old and New Covenant. On one side the branches are bare, on the other side leaved. The Old Testament man (foreground, left), who was driven out of Paradise (background, left) and then condemned by the law (represented by Moses with the ten commandments and two prophets (?) on the right behind him), is driven into damnation (purgatory, foreground left) by Death and the Devil. At the top left Christ is shown as the Judge of the World. On the right side St John the Baptist shows a naked sinner the crucified one, blood spurts from his chest and falls on the Believer's head. On the far right the resurrected Christ stands in front of his tomb, triumphant over the dragon (Death) [sic] and a skeleton (Hell) [sic]. In the background the adoration of the brazen serpent is shown as the antetypus of the crucifixion, the Virgin = Mary is represented praying on a hill. An interpretation has yet to be found for the old man in the foreground on the right.

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Attributions
Antonius Heusler
Franz Timmermann

Attributions

Antonius Heusler

[Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 48] [Sandner 1993, 238-243]

Franz Timmermann

(?)[Schaefer, Saint-George 2003, 32-35][Emmendörffer 1998, 226]

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Production dates
about 1540
about 1540 - 1545?

Production dates

about 1540

[Krischel 2003, 15][Emmendörffer 1998, 227]

about 1540 - 1545?

[Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 48]

Dimensions
Dimension of support: 55 x 59.2 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimension of support: 55 x 59.2 cm

  • [Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels
  • bottom: 'Durchs gesetz kompt erkentnis der sunden Ro. 3
    Das gesetz richt zorn an Ro .4
    Die sunde ist …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • bottom:

  • 'Durchs gesetz kompt erkentnis der sunden Ro. 3

  • Das gesetz richt zorn an Ro .4

  • Die sunde ist des todis spies aber das gesetz

  • Ist der sunden krafft 1 cor 15.'

    • bottom left:

  • 'zum tod vn[d] Teufel'

    • top right:

  • 'io. 1. Sihe das ist Gottis lam das der welt Sunde tregt'

  • 'Esa[...] Sihe eine [Jun]gfrawe wird [sch]wanger vn[d] [einen] son geberen'

  • The inscriptions on the bottom relate to Romans 3:20, Romans 4:15 and 1. Cor 15:56, the inscription on the top relates to John 1:29 and Isahia 7:14.

  • [Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Owner
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Köln
Repository
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum - Fondation Corboud, Köln
Location
Cologne
CDA ID
DE_WRMK_WRM3475
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_WRMK_WRM3475/

Provenance

  • collection of Graf Suminski, Schloss Tharandt near Dresden
  • unknown private collection, Rhineland
  • auction Helbing, Munich, 14 Oct 1907, No. 24
  • 1960 purchased, donated by Eugen Th. and Elisabeth Reintjes, 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Exhibitions

Cologne 2003
Lübeck 2021, no. 48

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021 250, 251 048 Fig. p. 251
EditorDagmar Täube
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Show Literature
Fleck 2021 99
AuthorMiriam Verena Fleck
Title"Wier seind allzumal sünder". Glaubensallegorien im Kontext von Buße und Erlösung
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages93-101
Show Literature
Sandner 2021 80
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleDie Werkstattpraxis Lucas Cranach des Älteren
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages71-81
Show Literature
Schaefer, Saint-George 2003 32-35
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
Show Literature
Krischel 1999
AuthorRoland Krischel
TitleDie Flügel der Schlange - Neue Erkenntnisse zu Lucas Cranach d. Ä. und seiner Werkstatt
JournalNeue Zürcher Zeitung
Issue283 (4./5.12.1999)
Year of Publication1999
Show Literature
Emmendörffer 1998 226-227 Fig. 22.22
AuthorChristoph Emmendörffer
TitleDie selbständigen Cranachschüler
Publicationin Ingo Sandner, Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach and Fachhochschule Köln, eds., Unsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Eisenach
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages203-228
Show Literature
Cat. Kassel 1997 132-133 84
AuthorAnja Schneckenburger-Broschek
EditorStaatliche Museen Kassel
TitleAltdeutsche Malerei. Die Tafelbilder und Altäre des 14. bis 16. Jahrhunderts in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister und im Hessischen Landesmuseum Kassel. Bestandskatalog Staatliche Museen Kassel
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1997
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Zurich 1994 311-313 114
AuthorPeter Jezler
TitleHimmel Hölle Fegefeuer. Das Jenseits im Mittelalter [Cologne, Zurich]
Place of PublicationZurich
Year of Publication1994
Show Literature
Sandner 1993 238-243
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleSpätgotische Tafelmalerei in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden, Basel
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Cat. Cologne 1969 46
AuthorIrmgard Hiller
TitleKatalog der deutschen und niederländischen Gemälde bis 1550. Kataloge des Wallraf-Richartz-Museums, V
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1969
Show Literature
Neuerwerbungen Cologne 1967 12
Authorn. a.
TitleNeuerwerbungen des Wallraf-Richartz-Museums seit 1966. Stiftungen, Dauerleihgaben und Ankäufe
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1967
Show Literature
  • Law and Grace, about 1540

Images

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

Technical studies

02. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black drawing medium; brushes of different widths

Type/Ductus:

- freehand detailed underdrawing executed in two phases

- thin to broader lines

- some hatching-strokes and perhaps some washes

Function:

- only relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines define the contours of the figures and indicate facial features and details; representation of volume with occasional hatching-strokes and possibly some washes

Deviations:

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

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not from the Cranach workshop

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich cda 2014]

2003Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Underdrawing

- with pointed brush and black fluid medium

- bold, drawn through, rather longer contour lines, details with short crescent-shaped impetus

- lines vary in width

- shadows of the faces of prophets and naked sinner in the centre drawn with hatchings

- two styles in underdrawing are verifiable, the second one sometimes with corrections of the first one, showing diffenret levels of confidence in drawing

- character of underdrawing shows a free conception on basis of a elabotate study

- references to Cranach's early style of underdrawing, without its spontaneous and vivd quality

- detailed underdrawing of faces, especially line of upper lid bow, ending with a slight upward impetus

- changes between underdrawing and execution: correction of contour lines, rearrangement of hands, omission of details

[Schaefer, Saint-George 2003, 34]

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

Condition Reports

Date1969

Top right insertion of piece of wood (2.5 x 8 cm). Left third of painting is damaged, especially left top corner. Figure of Eve added, as well as right shoulder, right body parts and left thigh of person on bottom left. Retouchings on inserted part.

[Cat. Cologne 1969, 46]

Versions

Fall and Redemption
  • Fall and Redemption, 1535
  • BE_CAULGW_12599
  • Painting
  • Collections artistiques de l'Université de Liège - Galerie Wittert
Allegory on the Fall and Redemption of Man
  • Allegory on the Fall and Redemption of Man, about 1530 - 1540
  • US_bjumg_P-54-51
  • Painting
  • Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery, Greenville

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
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Entry with no author
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