Christ and the Good Samaritan

Christ and the Good Samaritan

Title

Christ and the Good Samaritan

[CDA 2011]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Klein, Report 2013]

Wood

[Heiland, Exhib Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 58]

The painting is divided into two parts. Hans Körner is depicted kneeling with his family in the bottom quarter of the painting. The family coats-of-arms are illustrated in the foreground. The upper part of the painting shows Christ meeting the Good Samaritan at the well in accordance with the description

The painting is divided into two parts. Hans Körner is depicted kneeling with his family in the bottom quarter of the painting. The family coats-of-arms are illustrated in the foreground. The upper part of the painting shows Christ meeting the Good Samaritan at the well in accordance with the description in St John's Gospel (4, 1-30).

[Heiland, Exhib Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 58]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Heiland, Exhib Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 58]

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 115, No. 217D]

Production date
about 1525 - 1537

Production date

about 1525 - 1537

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 115, No. 217D]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 157 x 105 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 157 x 105 cm

  • [Heiland, Exhib Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 58]

  • Dimensions including frame: 178.5 x 127 x 6 cm;

  • 156.0 x 105.0 x 1.6-1.8 cm

  • [Rüdiger Beck, Museum der bildenden Künste, revised 11.06.2014]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia on the left edge of the stone flag under Christ's foot: winged serpent with elevated wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia on the left edge of the stone flag under Christ's foot: winged serpent with elevated wings

Owner
Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
Repository
Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
Location
Leipzig
CDA ID
DE_MdbKL_41
FR (1978) Nr.
FR217D
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_41/

Provenance

  • Epitaph for Hans Körner in the Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
  • 1815 rediscovered in the Nikolaikirche, Leipzig

[Heiland, Exhib Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 58]

Exhibitions

Weimar, Wittenberg 1953, No. 61
Basel 1974, Bd. I, 520 under No. 369
Karlsruhe 1991, No. 15, Fig. 57
Kronach 1994, 384, No. 215
Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, No. 12, p. 58, Fig. p. 59

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Leipzig 1997 58 No. 12 Fig. p. 59
AuthorHerwig Guratzsch, Gisela Goldberg
TitleVergessene altdeutsche Gemälde. 1815 auf dem Dachboden der Leipziger Nikolaikirche gefunden
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication1997
Cat. Leipzig 1995 34 No. 41
EditorHerwig Guratzsch
TitleBestandskatalog, Museum der bildenden Künste
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1995
Magirius et al. 1995 454, 455 (Bd. 1) No. 51
AuthorHeinrich Magirius, Hartmut Mai, Thomas Trajkovits, Winfried Werner
EditorLandesamt für Denkmalpflege Sachsen
TitleDie Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler von Sachsen. Stadt Leipzig. Die Sakralbauten I. Mit einem Überblick über die städtebauliche Entwicklung von den Anfängen bis 1989
Place of PublicationMunich, Berlin
Year of Publication1995
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 384 215
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
Exhib. Cat. Karlsruhe 1991 No. 15 Fig. 57
AuthorDieter Gleisberg
EditorStädtische Galerie im Prinz-Max-Palais, Karlsruhe
TitleKunstschätze aus Sachsen. Meisterwerke aus Leipziger Museen vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, [Städtische Galerie im Prinz-Max-Palais, Karlsruhe]
Place of PublicationKarlsruhe
Year of Publication1991
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 113 No. 217D
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 520 under No. 369 (Bd. 2)
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
Exhib. Cat. Weimar, Wittenberg 1953 No. 61
AuthorWalther Scheidig
EditorDeutsche Lucas Cranach Komitee
TitleLucas Cranach Ausstellung. Weimar und Wittenberg
Place of PublicationWeimar, Wittenberg
Year of Publication1953
Lüdecke 1953 B 107, 108 Fig. 111
AuthorHeinz Lüdecke
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Der Künstler und seine Zeit
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1953
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 179a
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Gurlitt 1896 29 Plate IX
AuthorCornelius Gurlitt
TitleBeschreibende Darstellung der älteren Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler des Königreichs Sachsen. Stadt Leipzig
Volume2
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1896
Wustmann 1879 1, 2, 11
AuthorGustav Wustmann
TitleBeiträge zur Geschichte der Malerei in Leipzig vom XV. bis zum XVII. Jahrhundert : mit einem Holzschnitt
SeriesBeiträge zur Kunstgeschichte
Volume2
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1879
Vogel 1849 4393
AuthorKarl Vogel
TitleDas Museum der Stadt Leipzig
JournalLeipziger Tageblatt und Anzeiger
IssueNo. 360
Year of Publication1850
Goethe 1815
AuthorJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
TitleNachricht von altdeutschen, in Leipzig entdeckten Schätzen
JournalMorgenblatt für die gebildeten Stände
Issue22. März 1815, No. 69
Year of Publication1815
Pagessp. 273, 274
Quandt 1815 Sp. 992 No. 124
AuthorJohann Gottlob von Quandt
TitleUeber altdeutsche Kunst, in Beziehung auf die in Leipzig aufgefundenen altdeutschen Gemälde; nebst einer Beschreibung derselben
JournalZeitung für die elegante Welt
IssueNos. 123, 124, 125, 22 Juni 1815 - 29 Juni 1815
Year of Publication1815
Stepner 1675 No. 457
AuthorSalomon M. Stepner
TitleInscriptiones Lipsienses. Das ist Verzeichnis allerhand denkwürdiger Überschriften, Grab- und Gedächtnismahle in Leipzig
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1675
  • Christ and the Good Samaritan, about 1525 - 1537

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
  • x_radiograph
  • uv_light
  • uv_light
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • analysis

Technical studies

11.06.2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • Stereomicroscopy
  • reverse
  • analysis
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail

Support

- limewood (Tila sp.); identification of wood species by Dr. Peter Klein, 26.10.2013, report from 26.10.13 in documentation file

- 7 vertically aligned boards with butt joints; widths: I: 9.6 b./5.4 t.; II: 22.2 t./18.8 b.; III: 19.3 b./18.1 t. IV: 13.2 t.11.3 b.; V: 19.0 b./18.3 t.; VI: 15.7 t./12.4 b.; VII: 14.6 b./12.1 t.

- reverse: no knots were detected in the visible surface of the panel (only c. 30% of the entire panel visible), tangential cut

- ithe reverse was completely smoothed down when the cradle was applied

- the joins, knots and growth weaknesses in the wood were reinforced with an applicationof tow. The fibrous material is clearly visibel on two old x-radiographs

- the edges of the panel are straight with no evidence of a groove

- the panel has been trimmed along the left and right edges; marks from a tool (probably an axe) are visible along the right edge

- treatment of damaged areas: at the bottom right, rectangular insert c. 3 x 7 cm, locations: 37 cm from the bottom and 17.5 cm from the right edge; at the bottom left edge, rectangular insert c. 3 x 10 cm, location: 20 cm from the left edge; at the top left in the group of apostles, rectangle c. 30 x 3 x 1 cm, location: 14 cm from the top left edge; knots: in the shoulder and hip of the samaritan, Christ's left thigh; further damages in the surface of the wood: at the right beside the feet of the samaritan and at the left of the well next to the jug

Ground and Imprimatura

- white ground, probably chalk/glue mixture (not tested)

- thick ground layer, c. 0.5 mm

- at the top and the bottom the ground extends to near the edge of the panel. there is no barb where it ends; at the right and left sides the ground extends to the edge of the panel (the edges have either been trimmed or reworked)

- there is no imprimatura and no incised lines, nor is there any evidence of marks from a tool

Underdrawing

- very economic underdrawing executed with a brush

- barely visible under the flesh paint

- assisting devices were not employed

- no obvious alterations were made during the painting process

Paint Layers and Gilding

Figures:

- the shadows and half-shadows were initially laid in on a white ground with cool greyish-brown washes and modulated with a soft brush application. In the areas of the highlights the white ground remained exposed. After the paint had dried a vermilion/ochre/white admixture was applied wet-in-wet and very delicately, in part scumbled over the greyish-brown layer to created a sort of mother-of-pearl flesh tone. This tone created the half-shadows. The dark brown/grey underpaint remained exposed for the shadows. Highlight were applied employing vermilion/lead white and blended with the wet flesh tones. Finally contours were applied in a brown tone. The hair was intitially laid in with an unmodulated ochre layer and after drying linear highlights and contours were added.

Robes:

- opaque underpaint, modulated wet-in-wet, light highlights blended. After drying the shadows were reinforced with glazes, the red robes were completely covered with a glaze and the shadows were applied in darker paint.

Sky:

a light blue (an admixture of blue and white) was applied over the white ground. In the upper section a thicker applicationof the same blue paint was employed.

Areas of grass:

- an initial dark brown layer was applied, over this a semi-opaque green paint roughly indicates the texture of the grass, finally lines define the leaves and blades of grass.

Woods (left):

- blackish-green opaque underpaint, the green foliage was then applied wet-in-wet with linear accents and contour.

- glazed to opaque application, pastos highlights (particularly in the grassy landscape, the robes and the hair)

- pointed and flat brushes of different sizes

- black painted band at the top and bottom of the painting: c. 1-1.5 cm (top) and c. 2-2.5 cm (bottom)

- discoloured green glazes (brown)

- no gilding

Framing

- probably first half of the 19th century; dimensions: 178.5 x 127 x 6 cm; coniferous wood

- colour: gilded, flat area matt gilding with an attached half-rounded profile, silver gilded with a gold glaze and patina.

- construction: frame with inlay. the rebate profile is an inlay profile (probably original); mitred joins with a mortise and tenon on the reverse (triangular tongue on all four corners).

- decoration: flat frame, two parallel half-rounded battens run around the front of the frame crossing at the corners.

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • examined by Rüdiger Beck

11. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • UV-light photography
  • uv_light
  • uv_light
  • photographed by Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig

26.10.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

  • analysed by Peter Klein

06. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid dark medium, fine, pointed brush

Type/Ductus:

- delicate, fine lines occasionally visible

Function:

- binding for the final painted version where visible; lines delineate contours and indicate the main features within the forms; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations were made during the painting process to clearly define forms

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Younger

Comments:

- probably with reference to a preparatory drawing or pre-existing design

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

1987Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • created by Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig

Condition Reports

Date11.06.2014

Support:

  • slight convex warp; thinned, smoothened and cradled. Cross-members (oak, 1 cm thick) blocked. Numerous splits in the vertically attached battens of the cradle (coniferous wood). The original joins between the planks are stable and closed, which suggests that they were reinforced with an application of tow beneath the ground.

  • in part open worm channels on the reverse of the panel. More woodworm damage in the top and lower quarters of the panel. In the area of the third plank at the top: two large wooden inserts, see UV photograph

Paint Layers/Ground:

  • standard ageing cracks, stable and in good condition. Some glazes have been abraded, particlarly the green glazes; some extensive retouching see UV image; all retouches have discoloured

  • in the area of the donor figure at the bottom the paint layers have sunk into the worm channels

Varnish:

  • no original varnish, homogenous, even gloss; remnants of an older varnish in the recesses and along the edges
  • examined by Rüdiger Beck

Conservation History

Date1925

Archivakte IV Restaurierung 1924-1932

6.-29. Treatment report by Walter Kühn, Leipzig [August 1925].

(404) "Christus und die Samariterin" by Cranach the Elder [Inv.-Nr. 41] cleaned, rubbed down with terpentine oil, regenerated

[in red ink:] '[...] there is a large reconstruction in the sky, it has discoloured and is visually quite disturbing - the wooden panel exhibits extensive woodworm damage; the split was misaligned when it was reglued.'

  1. Invoice

Invoice from Walter Kühn for the conservation treatment carried out in the Städtisches Museum, Leipzig 26.12.1926.

"Christ and the Good Samaritan" by Cranach the Elder [Inv.-Nr. 41] 70,-

Cost of cradle: 94,-

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • conservation treatment by Walter Kühn

Date1895

Archivakte III - 1890-1923

(49) Note referring to a restoration carried out by Philipp Ritter in1895, without a precise date.

1895 Herr Ritter: Nr. 41 Cranach [Inv.-Nr. 41], begun and completed

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • conservation treatment by Philipp Ritter

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ and the Good Samaritan', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_41/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ and the Good Samaritan', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_41/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.