The Stigmatisation of St Francis

Dendrochronological analysis of the wood use for the support revealed an earliest possible date of 1475 (Michael Grabner, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Department für Materialwissenschaften un Prozesstechnik)

[Exhib. Cat. Vienna 2022, 142]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

Function:

- only partially binding for the final painted version; broader lines delineate the main contours whereas the details and facial features are defined with a few thinner lines; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- corrections to forms were made during the painting process

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2017]

- spruce, at least 3 knots are visible

- 2 vertically aligned planks, butt-joined and planed: Plank 1: 86.7 x 41.9 (41.3 cm at the bottom) x 0.8 cm; Plank 2: 86.7 x 5.5 (6.1 cm at the bottom) x 0.8 cm

- three tapered moveable cross-members slide into the panel from the left.

- exit holes from previously active woodworm are visible on the right side of the panel

- plank 2 has been cropped

- splits are visible at the centre of the top edge, here a rectangular block was inserted and glued

- at the left edge there are marks from a previous mounting system

- smooth, white chalk/glue ground

- despite the fact that the panel has been trimmed there is a slightly raised barbe is evident at both the left and right hand sides

- an imprimatura tinted with pale ochre (sky) and dark ochre (landscape and flesh paint) is visible beneath the more transparent paint layers

- there is an underdrawing, which was probably executed with a brush

- it is visible to the naked eye in areas where the paint layers have become more transparent over time.

- the paint was applied with a brush in a number of both glazed and thick, opaque layers. The highlights were added last.

- the haloes of the saint and the angels were gilded over a red bole; the saint’s halo is decoratively enriched with two circular grooves

- the frame is new, glazed and protected on the reverse with plexiglas

[Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, revised 2017]

• the support exhibits a vertical washboard effect.

• horizontal splits have developed due to tension. Exit holes are visible on the right side of the panel, but the woodworm is no longer active.

• the paint is abraded down to the imprimatura in many areas. Drying cracks and wrinkling have created small islands of paint in the darker areas. These stand out optically from the surrounding paint.

• the haloes are abraded and the bole is visible in places.

[Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, revised 2017]

The panel was cropped at the top and bottom edges as well as at the right side.

There are numerous old retouches particularly in the abraded areas. A natural resin varnish was applied recently.

[Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, revised 2017]