King Wernicke

King Wernicke

Titles

King Wernicke

[cda 2014]

Duke Wernicken

[Schütz, Exhib. Cat. Vienna 1972, No. 38]

Painting on canvas on cardboard

Medium

Painting on canvas on cardboard

[Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]

The portraits by Cranach the Younger have a uniform blue background and a cast-shadow to one side of the sitter. As such they stand out from the other works in the series. Furthermore all 48 images are painted on canvas and not paper. They were later laminated onto wood and

The portraits by Cranach the Younger have a uniform blue background and a cast-shadow to one side of the sitter. As such they stand out from the other works in the series. Furthermore all 48 images are painted on canvas and not paper. They were later laminated onto wood and in isolated cases cardboard. The very uniform appearance of the reverse of all the portraits belonging to the series suggests that they were attached to the auxiliary support after entering the Ambras collection. (Kenner 1893, 44)

[Alice Hoppe-Harnoncourt, Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2013]

[Translation, Smith, cda 2014]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]

Production date
1578 - 1580

Production date

1578 - 1580

[Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 13.2 x 10 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 13.2 x 10 cm

  • [Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2003]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the right edge: winged serpent with dropped wings

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the right edge: winged serpent with dropped wings

  • [Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]

Inscriptions and Labels

'Hertzog Wernicken'
[Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013] Verso: see image of the reverse

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • 'Hertzog Wernicken'

  • [Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Verso: see image of the reverse

Owner
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Repository
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Location
Vienna
CDA ID
AT_KHM_GG4770
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/AT_KHM_GG4770/

Provenance

  • 1579/80 acquired by Archduke Ferdinand II. of Tirol:
  • 1578: in a letter Archduke Ferdinand II. asks Elector August of Saxony for portraits of all the dukes from the Saxon House no greater in size than the piece of paper enclosed in the letter
  • 1.12.1578: Elector August requests an estimate from Cranach the Younger for the series of saxonian ducal portrait desired by Archduke Ferdinand II.
  • 24.2.1579: Elector August of Saxony gives Cranach an advanced payment of 60 Taler for 44 portraits of dukes, that were commissioned by the Archduke Ferdinand II.
  • 7.8.1579: Elector August orders that portraits from the Knauf tower (Knaufturm) in Torgau should be lent to Cranach, possibly to carry out the portraits for Archduke Ferdinand II.
  • 13.10.1579: Elector August sends Archduke Ferdinand II. the to date completed portraits.
  • July 1580: Archduke Ferdinand sends his thanks for receiving 50 portraits at the castle of Ambras (Schloss Ambras), Tirol.[1]

  • 1806, the Ambras Collection is transferred to Vienna

  • 1810-1891, Vienna, Unteres Belvedere, Ambras Collection[2]

  • 1891, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Numismatic Collection, upper floor, room XVI, panel D [3]

  • since 1909, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Numismatic Collection, 2. floor, room II [4]

[1][Schade 1974, 451 No. 514, 452 No. 517, No. 519, 452 No. 521]
[Schütz, Exhib. Cat. Vienna 1972, 35-36]
[Kenner 1894, 176]
[Kenner 1893, 44]
[Distel 1884, 302-303]

[2][Primisser 1819]
[Goebel d. J. 1889]
Aquarell auf Papier, 49 x 67 cm, Belvedere, Wien, Inv. Nr. 2805, publiziert in: [Lechner 2011, 125-137]
[Lhotsky 1941-1945, 490-491, 511-514]

[3][Kenner 1892, 91-95]
[Kenner 1893, 61]

[4][Haupt 1991, 45, fig. 33]
[Ladner 1932, 4, 47-49]

[Kunsthistorisches Museum, revised 2013]
[Translation, Smith, cda 2014]

Exhibitions

Vienna 1972, No. 38

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Metzger 2011 25
AuthorChristof Metzger
TitleEine Glaubensfrage. Auf der Suche nach der Wahrheit im Bildnis der Dürerzeit
Publicationin Karl Schütz, Christof Metzger, Sabine Haag, eds., Dürer Cranach Holbein. Die Entdeckung des Menschen: Das deutsche Porträt um 1500. Exhib. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 2011, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Munich 2011/12
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Pages21-26
Show Literature
Rauch 2002
AuthorMargot Rauch
TitleEinleitung zu Kat. 36
Publicationin Wilfried Seipel, ed., Werke für die Ewigkeit. Kaiser Maximilian I. und Erzherzog Ferdinand II. Exhib. Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication2002
Pages84
Show Literature
Schütz 2002
AuthorKarl Schütz
TitleDie Porträtsammlung Erzherzog Ferdinands II.
Publicationin Wilfried Seipel, ed., Werke für die Ewigkeit. Kaiser Maximilian I. und Erzherzog Ferdinand II. Exhib. Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication2002
Pages19-21
Show Literature
Schütz 1977
AuthorKarl Schütz
TitleDie sächsische Fürstenreihe des jungen Lucas Cranach aus der Ambraser Porträtgalerie Erzherzog Ferdinands
Publicationin Dieter Koepplin, ed., Akten des Kolloqiums zur Basler Cranach-Ausstellung 1974
Place of PublicationBasel
Year of Publication1977
Pages32-34
Show Literature
Schade 1974 104-105
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleDie Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1974
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Vienna 1972 35-39, 40 No. 38
AuthorKarl Schütz
EditorKunsthistorisches Museum, Wien
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere und seine Werkstatt. Jubiläumsausstellung museumseigener Werke 1472-1972
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1972
Show Literature
Cat. Vienna 1938 44-45 No. 44 Plate G
Authorn. a.
TitleKunsthistorisches Museum: Katalog der Gemäldegalerie
SeriesFührer durch das Kunsthistorische Museum
Volume8
Place of PublicationVienna
IssueSecond edition
Year of Publication1938
Show Literature
Ladner 1932 14, 47 No. 44
AuthorGerhart Ladner
TitleDie Porträtsammlung des Erzherzogs Ferdinand von Tirol
SeriesFührer durch die Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien
Volume17
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1932
Show Literature
Kenner 1894 147-150, 176-180, 181-182 No. 44
AuthorFriedrich Kenner
TitleDie Porträtsammlung des Erzherzogs Ferdinand von Tirol. Die deutschen Bildnisse
JournalJahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses
Issue15
Year of Publication1894
Pages147-259
Show Literature
Kenner 1893
AuthorFriedrich Kenner
TitleDie Porträtsammlung des Erzherzogs Ferdinand von Tirol. Einleitung
JournalJahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses
IssueBd. 14
Year of Publication1893
Pages37- 61
Show Literature
Kenner 1892 91 No. 44
AuthorFriedrich Kenner
EditorKunsthistorische Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses
TitleFührer durch die Porträtsammlung des Erzherzogs Ferdinand von Tirol
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1892
Show Literature
Waagen 1867 330
AuthorGustav Friedrich Waagen
TitleDie vornehmsten Kunstdenkmäler in Wien
Volume2
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1867
Link https://mdz-nbn-resolving.de/details:bsb11716883
Show Literature
Cat. Vienna 1855 33 No. 249
AuthorEduard Freiherr von Sacken
TitleDie k. k. Ambraser Sammlung. Zweiter Teil. Die Kunst- und Wunderkammern und die Bibliothek
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1855
Show Literature
Cat. Vienna 1819 106-107, 118 No. 249
AuthorAlois Primisser
TitleDie kaiserlich-königliche Ambraser Sammlung
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1819
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

In the 1570s Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol planned to form a collection of portraits ranging from rulers of various European Houses to famous men and wonder-workers. To this end he sent a letter to Elector August of Saxony in 1578 requesting portraits of all the dukes of Saxony the size of the enclosed piece of paper. In 1580 the Archduke expressed his gratitude for 50 portraits delivered to him (see provenance). 48 of these small portraits have been preserved, all signed with the Cranach insignia. Archduke Ferdinand probably received about 950 portraits in this way or that he commissioned himself, each measuring about 13.5 x 10 cm (see last mentioned Schütz 2002)

August of Saxony commissioned Lucas Cranach the Younger with the task and paid him accordingly (Schade 1974, 451 No. 514, 452 No. 517 and No. 519, 452 No. 521). The project was not new, Friedrich the Wise already owned a series of portraits displayed in Wittenberg castle and in 1571 Elector August had commissioned a portrait series for the castle of Augustusburg. Cranach the Younger could therefore draw on workshop prototypes, which with regards to the portraits of the earliest Saxon dukes were probably based on older models. (Schütz, Exhib. Cat. Vienna 1972, 36-38)

The portraits by Cranach the Younger have a uniform blue background and a cast-shadow to one side of the sitter. As such they stand out from the other works in the series. Furthermore all 48 images are painted on canvas and not paper. They were later laminated onto wood and in isolated cases cardboard. The very uniform appearance of the reverse of all the portraits belonging to the series suggests that they were attached to the auxiliary support after entering the Ambras collection. (Kenner 1893, 44)

[Alice Hoppe-Harnoncourt, Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2013]

[Translation, Smith, cda 2014]

  • King Wernicke, 1578 - 1580

Images

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