Christ taking leave from the Virgin

Christ taking leave from the Virgin

Title

Christ taking leave from the Virgin

[CDA 2011]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Christ is shown at the left side of the image taking leave of his mother, who appears to bow before him at the right and looks at him mournfully with folded hands. Her three companions dry her tears. The composition chosen draws the viewer close to the figures, which considerably

Christ is shown at the left side of the image taking leave of his mother, who appears to bow before him at the right and looks at him mournfully with folded hands. Her three companions dry her tears. The composition chosen draws the viewer close to the figures, which considerably augments the emotional value of this scene.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, revised 2011]

Production date
about 1520

Production date

about 1520

[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 86 x 60 x 0.4-0.1 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 86 x 60 x 0.4-0.1 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia top right (tree trunk): winged serpent with elevated wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia top right (tree trunk): winged serpent with elevated wings

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel:
[Gal.-Nr. repeatedly]; Sammlungsnachweis Pillnitz: 'Inv. 20.'; [Sammlungsnachweis Dresden, repeatedly]; [Ausstellungsnachweis Weimar]; in …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel:

  • [Gal.-Nr. repeatedly]; Sammlungsnachweis Pillnitz: 'Inv. 20.'; [Sammlungsnachweis Dresden, repeatedly]; [Ausstellungsnachweis Weimar]; in red chalk: '72'

  • [Schlegel 2003, 31][1]

  • [1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Owner
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Repository
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Location
Dresden
CDA ID
DE_SKD_GG1907
FR (1978) Nr.
FR132B
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1907/

Provenance

  • 1741 moved from the Collection Wallenstein in Dux (Duchcov) to the Königlichen Gemäldegalerie Dresden

[Woermann, Cat. Dresden 1887, 605][1]

[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 328]

Exhibitions

Dresden 1899, No. 75
Dresden 1937, 12
Weimar, Wittenberg 1953, No. 14
Wien 1972, under No. 6
Bukarest 1973, No. 87
Basel 1974, under No. 301
Chemnitz 2005, No. 21

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Maaz 2010 42, 43
AuthorBernhard Maaz
TitleCranach in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden
Place of PublicationBerlin, Munich
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 326-331 21 Pl. p. 327
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Kolb 2005 C 532, 542-545, 547-549, 551, 552, 554-556 21
AuthorKarin Kolb
TitleDokumentation zum Dresdener Cranach-Bestand
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages526-572
Show Literature
Schölzel 2005 191 21
AuthorChristoph Schölzel
TitleZeichnungen unter der Farbschicht. Zu den Unterzeichnungen von Cranachs Gemälden in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister und in der Rüstkammer Dresden
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages182-197
Show Literature
Schlegel 2003 31
AuthorArmgard Schlegel
TitleTechnologische Untersuchungen an Holzbildträgern von Gemälden der Cranachwerkstatt in den Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationDresden
IssueSeminararbeit der Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
  • Christ taking leave from the Virgin, about 1520

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
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  • other
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Documents

Technical studies

23.10.2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr
  • irr

Underdrawing

Results

Drawing material:

- fluid (brush)

Technique:

- The brush drawing is restricted to a linear indication of the contours and the main features within the forms, there are some hatching-strokes like for example on the Virgin's headscarf; some slight deviations are visible in the painted version: the nose and left eye of Christ, the Virgin’s folded arms and the main features in the face of the woman behind; the brush strokes delineating the hand of Christ vary in thickness and the lines appear to have been drawn twice (second drawing implement?) [1]

- face and right ear of Christ indicated in the underdrawing, the curl above the right half of the face deviates from the final painted version (underdrawing plus underpainting?). The definition of details deviates in the final painted version: wrinkles on the forehead, lines on Christ's neck, the Virgin's face, hatching strokes on the Virgin's left cheek and neck, the faces of the group of women on the left, right eye, nose and outh of the woman on the left as well as the nose and left eye of christ and the hands of the Virgin; the general direction of the folds of the robes worn by the Virgin and Christ are sketchily indicated

- alterations: the Virgin's headscarf was originally somewhat higher, the Virgin's fingers have been changed slightly and the head of the woman on the right edge of the painting was originally slightly further down

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

[Böhme, Schölzel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2012]

  • photographed by Alexandra Böhme
  • photographed by Christoph Schölzel

2005Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

The brush drawing is restricted to a linear indication of the contours and the main features within the forms, there are some hatching-strokes like for example on the Virgin's headscarf; some slight deviations are visible in the painted version: the nose and left eye of Christ, the Virgin’s folded arms and the main features in the face of the woman behind; the brush strokes delineating the hand of Christ vary in thickness and the lines appear to have been drawn twice (second writing instrument?)

Framing

- new frame: gilded in the style of the 18th and 19th century Dresden gallery frames

[Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

2003Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • other
  • reverse

Support

- limewood

- the boards are beween 0.4-0.1 cm thick (thinned) and vertically aligned

- top and bottom beveled

[Schlegel 2003, 31][1]

[1][Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Condition Reports

Date2003

Support:

  • planks between 0.4-0.1 cm thick (thinned)

  • cradle consisting of six vertical battens and eight cross-battens (pine wood)

  • pale coating covering the cradle and the reverse of the panel (lead white ?)

Painted surface:

  • isolated retouches (particularly along the top edge of the panel)

  • the colour of the paint on the Virgin's greenish brown sleeve appears to have altered

  • remnants of an old varnish

  • thin glossy varnish

[Schlegel 2003, 31][1]

[1][Schlegel, Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

Conservation History

Date1979

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, Meldung][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

see also pdf

Date1971

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, Meldung][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

see also pdf

Date1967

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, Meldung][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

see also pdf

Date1958

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, Restaurierungsprotokoll][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 326]

see also pdf

Versions

Christ taking leave of his mother
  • Christ taking leave of his mother, about 1520
  • AT_KHM_GG891
  • Painting
  • Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ taking leave from the Virgin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1907/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ taking leave from the Virgin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1907/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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