Philipp Melanchthon

Title

Philipp Melanchthon

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

'Half-length portrait of a seated scholar facing left against a neutral, greenish-grey background. In the bottom third of the painting there is a text block with [...] verses, top left a coat-of-arms.'

[G. Walczak, Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Attribution: Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Production dates: about 1500 - 1599
1534

Production dates

about 1500 - 1599	"16. Jahrhundert" [Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]
1534	Date '1534' most likely not authentic [Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 23.5 x 14.4 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 23.5 x 14.4 cm
Dimensions without text block: 18.3 x 14.4 cm
[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Signature / Dating: 'Bottom right signed with an erroneous artist's insignia in the form of a serpent with elevated wings and dated 1534.'

Signature / Dating

'Bottom right signed with an erroneous artist's insignia in the form of a serpent with elevated wings and dated 1534.'
[G. Walczak, Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Inscriptions and Labels: Recto bottom: 'CONATVR PARV[V]S ARTES ORNARE
MELA[NCH]T[H]ON
NON TAMEN ID MERITVM DVXERIS
ESSE LEVE.'

[Cat. Hamburg …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

Recto bottom:
'CONATVR PARV[V]S ARTES ORNARE
MELA[NCH]T[H]ON
NON TAMEN ID MERITVM DVXERIS
ESSE LEVE.'
[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

Reverse of the panel: paper stuck over it, on which a free translation of the Latin verse has been transcribed in black ink:
'Ernst bemüht ist Melanchthon
die Wissenschaft zu fördern;
Mögest Du nie mehr gering achten
solches Verdienst!'
[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Owner: Hamburger Kunsthalle
Repository: Hamburger Kunsthalle
Location: Hamburg

CDA ID: DE_HKH_HK-118
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HKH_HK-118/

Provenance

acquired in 1923 as a tradeoff from the Galerie Commeter, Hamburg

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Hamburg 2007

118

Author	Martina Sitt, Gerrit Walczak
Title	Die Sammlungen der Hamburger Kunsthalle. Die deutschen, englischen, französischen, italienischen und spanischen Gemälde 1350-1800
Place of Publication	Hamburg
Year of Publication	2007

Show Literature

Philipp Melanchthon, about 1500 - 1599

Images

Technical studies

08. 2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- dry drawing material, dark chalk; in combination with a fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing; copied lines in the face (executed with a brush over traced lines?)

- thin lines; delicate, fine lines (in the face)

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

Comments:

- probably transferred from a pre-existing design

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

1997Technical examination / Scientific analysis

X-radiography

X-radiography

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Condition Reports

Date2007

paint surface dirty; paint loss along the edges

[Cat. Hamburg 2007, No. 118]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HKH_HK-118/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HKH_HK-118/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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