The Judgement of Paris [Fragment]

The Judgement of Paris [Fragment]

Titles

The Judgement of Paris [Fragment]

[cda 2011]

Darstellung König Alfreds und des Ritters Albonack mit seinen Töchtern

[Parthey 1864, Bd. I, 129] [1] [1][Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

This fragment illustrates a tale from classical mythology, in which the Goddess of Discord tossed an apple labeled 'to the fairest' among the Olympian gods, causing an argument. Not even Jupiter, the father of the Gods, wished to arbitrate, instead he sent the messenger-god Mercury to tell Paris, prince of

This fragment illustrates a tale from classical mythology, in which the Goddess of Discord tossed an apple labeled 'to the fairest' among the Olympian gods, causing an argument. Not even Jupiter, the father of the Gods, wished to arbitrate, instead he sent the messenger-god Mercury to tell Paris, prince of Troy, to award the prize. The three goddesses who claimed the apple offered bribes. Juno promised wealth and power, Minerva military prowess, and Venus the love of the most beautiful woman on earth. Paris's choice of Venus, and his abduction of the most beautiful woman, - the Spartan queen, Helen-, led to the Trojan War.

Cranach shifts this moralising subject on the consequences of every decission to the present by depicting the protagonists in contemporary attire and jewellery.

[Herrschaft, cda 2015]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 99]
[Hosäus 1883, 53, no. 1632][1]
[Parthey 1864, Bd. I, 129][1]
[Schuchardt 1851 A, Bd. II, 155f., no. 459][1]
[1][Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

Production date
about 1535

Production date

about 1535

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 121, no. 256] [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 99]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 59.7 x 26(T)-24.5(B) x 0.9 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 59.7 x 26(T)-24.5(B) x 0.9 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 68.1 x 47.1 x 5.5 cm

  • [Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom left, on the missing piece: winged serpent

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia bottom left, on the missing piece: winged serpent

  • [Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel: - centre:
brush in black, old No. '163'

  • bottom, centre:
    No. '1' (crossed-out)

[Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, revised …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel: - centre:

  • brush in black, old No. '163'

    • bottom, centre:

  • No. '1' (crossed-out)

  • [Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, revised 2011]

Owner
Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, Dessau
Repository
Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, Dessau
Location
Dessau
CDA ID
DE_AGGD_15
FR (1978) Nr.
FR256
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AGGD_15/

Provenance

  • old ducal Inv. No. 1632, Joachim-Ernst-Stiftung
    [Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie, revised 2011]
  • since1851 recorded in the Gotisches Haus in Wörlitz, (library)
  • after 1945 lost. Last recorded Uhlenstein in the Harz (forester's house), where it had been stored for safekeeping, from there it was stolen
  • 1988 returned to the Anhaltischen Gemäldegalerie, Dessau as a fragment (with the assistance of the Ministry for Culture, DDR)
    [Klingen, Cat. Dessau 1996, 32]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 99

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Wörlitz 2015 118-119
EditorKulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz
EditingWolfgang Savelsberg
TitleCranach im Gotischen Haus in Wörlitz, [Wörlitz, Gotisches Haus, 15 May - 4 Oct. 2015]
SeriesKataloge und Schriften der Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz
Volume35
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Werner 2015 B 163-165, 168, 169 1-2
AuthorElke Anna Werner
TitleFehlurteile. Das Urteil des Paris von Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (ehem. im Gotischen Haus Wörlitz) und seine Forschungsgeschichte
Publicationin Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz, ed., Cranach im Gotischen Haus in Wörlitz, Exhib. Cat. Wörlitz
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Pages163-170
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2010 6, 7, 49, 51 Figs. 4, 2
EditorMarlies Schmidt, Cranach-Stiftung, Wittenberg
TitleVenus, Eva und co., Lucas Cranachs Aktdarstellungen im Kontext von Reformation und Humanismus
Place of PublicationWittenberg
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Cat. Dessau 1996 32, 33 No. 15 Fig. 15
AuthorStephan Klingen
TitleDie deutschen Gemälde des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts, Kritischer Bestandskatalog
Volume1
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 24 Fig. 4A
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
Grimm 1994 24, 36 Fig. A4
AuthorClaus Grimm
TitleLucas Cranach 1994
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds., Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Regensburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages18-43
Show Literature
Nickel 1982 117ff.
AuthorHelmut Nickel
TitleThe Judgement of Paris by Lucas Cranach the Elder: Nature, Allegory, and Alchemy
JournalMetropolitan Museum Journal
Issue16
Year of Publication1982
Pages117-129
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 121 No. 256 Fig. 256
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Himoud-Sperlich 1977 39-40, 44f.
AuthorInge El- Himoud-Sperlich
TitleDas Urteil des Paris. Studien zur Bildtradition des Themas im 16. Jh.
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1977
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 37 099
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Photoverzeichnis Marburg 1937 No. 77468
Authorn. a.
TitlePhotoverzeichnis VII. Neuaufnahmen des Kunstgeschichtlichen Seminars in Marburg aus den Anhaltischen Sammlungen
JournalJahrbuch des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft
IssueBd. 4
Year of Publication1937
PagesI-VIII
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 69 210a
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
Show Literature
Cat. Dessau 1929 17 No. 15
AuthorLudwig Grote
TitleFührer durch die Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie
Place of PublicationDessau
Year of Publication1929
Show Literature
Cat. Dessau 1927 15 No. 15
AuthorLudwig Grote
TitleFührer durch die Anhaltische Gemälde-Galerie
Place of PublicationDessau
Year of Publication1927
Show Literature
Hartmann 1913 91 No. 1632
AuthorAdolph Hartmann
TitleDer Wörlitzer Park und seine Kunstschätze
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1913
Show Literature
Hosäus 1883 53 No. 1632
AuthorWilhelm Hosäus
TitleWorlitz. Ein Handbuch für die Besucher des Wörlitzer Gartens und der Wörlitzer Kunstsammlungen
Place of PublicationDessau
Year of Publication1883
Show Literature
Parthey 1863-1864 129 (Bd. 1)
AuthorGustav Parthey
TitleDeutscher Bildersaal. Verzeichnis der in Deutschland vorhandenen Oelbilder verstorbener Maler aller Schulen
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1864
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 A 155f. No. 459
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Erster Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd1
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 155-156 459
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature
  • The Judgement of Paris [Fragment], about 1535

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Technical studies

04. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- dry medium (black chalk?)

Type/Ductus:

- continuous, thin lines

Function:

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

Deviations:

- minor alterations in the painted version to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop of Cranach

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Judgement of Paris [Fragment]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AGGD_15/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Judgement of Paris [Fragment]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AGGD_15/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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