St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows]

St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows]

Title

St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows]

[Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994, No. 152]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 9]

Recto: St Anthony is depicted as a half-length figure kneeling in front of a crucifix on a stone slab that defines the edge of the painting. He holds his hands in an attitude of prayer and looks at the crucified Christ. A set of bells and an illustrious plague cross

Recto: St Anthony is depicted as a half-length figure kneeling in front of a crucifix on a stone slab that defines the edge of the painting. He holds his hands in an attitude of prayer and looks at the crucified Christ. A set of bells and an illustrious plague cross are visible to the left of the stone base of the cross. In the upper third of the painting a group of demons appears in the sky to tempt Anthony. Behind the cross the viewer's eye is lead into an expansive landscape. At the left the composition is framed by a large tree.

In the bottom right corner there is a small bishop's coat-of-arms, which was added later.

Verso: Christ sits in the open sarcophagus positioned at the foot of the cross and shows the wounds in his hands. Two putti hold up a dark cloth behind him.

[Görres, cda 2014]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994, No. 152]
[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 9]

Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop

[Exhib. Cat. Eisenach 1998, No. 14.6] ''Lucas Cranach the Elder (recto) and Workshop (verso)' [Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 180, No. 84]

Production date
about 1520 - 1525

Production date

about 1520 - 1525

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, no. 9] [Sandner 1998 B, 89] [Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994, No. 152]

Dimensions
Dimension of painted surface: 147.2 x 94.5 cm [cda 2014]

Dimensions

  • Dimension of painted surface: 147.2 x 94.5 cm [cda 2014]

  • Dimension including frame: 188 x 135.2 cm [Diecézní galerie a muzeum, revised 2014]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom centre: winged serpent with elevated wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia bottom centre: winged serpent with elevated wings

  • [cda 2014]

Owner
Parish of the Litomerice Cathedral
Repository
Diecézní galerie a muzeum, Litomerice (Museum and Gallery of the Dioceses Litomerice)
Location
Litomerice
CDA ID
CZ_DGML_D-203
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_DGML_D-203/

Provenance

  • from the St Stephen's Cathedral, Litomerice
  • end of 16th century acquired by the chapter of the cathedral, dean Zbynek Berka of Dubá (1587-1592)
  • 1771 mentioned in inventory for the first time

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 9]

Exhibitions

Leitmeritz/Litomerice 1991
Kronach 1994, No. 152
Eisenach 1998, No. 14.6
Prague 2005, No. 9
Hamburg 2008
Düsseldorf 2017, No. 84

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017 180 No. 84
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
Show Literature
Chamonikola 2005 B 25 (English version 11)
AuthorKaliopi Chamonikola
TitleLucas Cranach a ceské zeme/ Lucas Cranach and the Czech Lands
Publicationin Kaliopi Chamonikola, ed., Pod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme, Under the winged Serpent, Lucas Cranach and the Czech Lands, Exhib. Prague 2005
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Pages13-33 (6-15)
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 68-71 (English version 30, 31) 9 Pl. p. 69 (recto), Pl. p. 71 (verso)
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
Show Literature
Heiser 2002 104
AuthorSabine Heiser
TitleDas Frühwerk Lucas Cranachs des Älteren. Wien um 1500 - Dresden um 1900
SeriesNeue Forschungen zur Deutschen Kunst
Volume6
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2002
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Eisenach 1998 126 No. 14.6 Fig. 14.6
EditorWartburg-Stiftung, Eisenach, Fachhochschule , Ingo Sandner
TitleUnsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen. Ausstellungskatalog und Tagungsband Katalogteil 1; 2: Werkstatt und Schüler Cranachs; 3: Süddeutsche Meister; 4: Albrecht Dürer und sein Kreis; 5: Rheinische Meister
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages229-240
Show Literature
Sandner 1998 B 89
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleCranach als Zeichner auf dem Malgrund
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
Pages83-95
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 330, 331 152 Fig. 152
EditorClaus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff
TitleLucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken [Festung Rosenberg, Kronach 17.05 - 21.08.1994; Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig 07.09 - 06.11.1994]
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Show Literature
Vacková 1991 24 9
AuthorJarmila Vacková
TitlePozdní gotika. Z pokladu litomerické dieceze I.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1991
Show Literature
Vlnas 1990 237, 244
AuthorVit Vlnas
TitleUmelecke sbírky litomerických biskupu v. 17. a 18. století
JournalUmeni
Issue38
Year of Publication1990
Pages232-247
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 542
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Show Literature
Cat. Prague 1962 XVII 58
AuthorJaroslav Pešina
TitleAlt-deutsche Meister: Von Hans von Tübingen bis Dürer und Cranach
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication1962
Show Literature
Votocek 1961 620, 622
AuthorOtakar Votocek
TitleK oprave a puvodu obrazu Litomerického Mistra
JournalZpávy parnátkové péce
Issue21
Year of Publication1961
Show Literature
Luksch 1920 no pagination
AuthorVinzenz Luksch
TitleTopographie der historischen und Kunst-Denkmale im politischen Bezirke Leitmeritz, Teil I., Stadt Leitmeritz/ Soupis historických a umeleckých památek v politickém okresu Litomerice, díl I., Mesto Litomerice
Place of PublicationLitomerice
Year of Publication1920
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The coat of arms of the Archbishop of Prague Zbynek Berka von Dubá is displayed at the bottom right. From 1587-1592 he was dean of the cathedral of St. Stephan (d. 1606).

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 9]

  • St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows], about 1520 - 1525

Images

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Technical studies

06. 2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr
  • irr

Underdrawing

St Anthony the Hermit [recto]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brushes of varying widths; the facial features were probably carried out employing a small pointed brush

Type/Ductus:

- detailed freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

- hatching-strokes (in the hands)

- lines drawn with a ruler

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours, indicate essential details and describe facial features; hatching-strokes only in the hands; the cross is indicated with lines drawn with a ruler

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; small changes, particularly to the beasts in the sky

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

Comments:

- bottom right beside the cross: illegible word, handwritten with a pencil ? (unclear whether it lies beneath the paint layers)

Christ as the Man of Sorrows [verso]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brushes of varying widths (in part shows signs of beading)

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed and freehand underdrawing

- thin to slightly broader lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours, indicate essential details and describe facial features; hatching-strokes serve the representation of volume in the arm-pits

Deviations:

- alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

Comments:

- beading observed in many areas suggests that the underdrawing was executed over an oil-based layer

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2014]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Conservation History

Date1914

New frame

[Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005, No. 9]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_DGML_D-203/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'St Anthony the Hermit [verso: Christ as the Man of Sorrows]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/CZ_DGML_D-203/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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