Christ as the Good Shepherd

Christ as the Good Shepherd

Title

Christ as the Good Shepherd

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1989, 136]
[Cat. Erfurt 1924, 29, No. 134]

'I am the good shepherd [...] I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.' (John 10, 14-15). This metaphor of the pastor is already present in Early Christian art. At a dinner speech in the Spring of 1533 Martin Luther remarked among

'I am the good shepherd [...] I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.' (John 10, 14-15). This metaphor of the pastor is already present in Early Christian art. At a dinner speech in the Spring of 1533 Martin Luther remarked among others that 'M. Lucas depicted Christ carrying the sheep out of the desert ('M. Lucas pingat' Christum ovem e deserto humeris reportantem`, Werke 1912, 248 No. 533). Without doubt he was referring to Lucas Cranach the Elder by whom no such work is known.

The painting of interest here, beautifully rendered in subdued brown and grey tones, is stylistically endebted to the paternal teacher (Cranach the Elder). However the characteristic depiction of the winged serpent in the top right of the background seems to indicate that the painting is undoubtedly the work of Cranach the Younger from the 1550s (see also Schade 1974, 420f.).'

[Michaelis, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1989, 136]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Erfurt 1924, 29, No. 134]

Production dates
about 1540
about 1530 - 1540

Production dates

about 1540

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

about 1530 - 1540

[Cat. Erfurt 1924, 29, No. 134]

1550 - 1559

'1550er Jahre'
[Michaelis, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1989, 136]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 21 x 14.3 cm (measured in frame)

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 21 x 14.3 cm (measured in frame)

  • [cda 2012]

  • 21 x 15 cm

  • [Cat. Erfurt 1924, 29, No. 134]

  • Dimensions including frame: 27.1 x 21.5 x 2.8 cm

  • [cda 2012]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia top right, behind the lamb: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing left; in yellow paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia top right, behind the lamb: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing left; in yellow paint

Inscriptions and Labels

none

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • none

Owner
Angermuseum, Erfurt
Repository
Angermuseum, Erfurt
Location
Erfurt
CDA ID
DE_AME_4411
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AME_4411/

Provenance

  • from the collection of the protestant orphanage
    [Cat. Erfurt 1924, 29, No. 134]

Exhibitions

Wittenberg 2007

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2007
EditorCranach-Stiftung, Wittenberg
TitleLucas Cranach - Gemälde und Graphiken aus mitteldeutschen Sammlungen, [Cranach-Stiftung Wittenberg]
Place of PublicationWittenberg
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1989 136 No. C74 Fig. C74
AuthorHelga Thamm
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleDasein und Vision [Berlin, Staatl. Museen, Altes Museum]
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1989
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1983 401
EditorAltes Museum, Berlin
TitleKunst der Reformationzeit
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1983
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 383 (Bd. 1), Fn. 134
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
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Bucarest 1973 A 77
EditorWerner Schade
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere, Lucas Cranach der Jüngere, Jacob Lucius der Ältere. Gemälde und Holzschnitte aus Sammlungen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
Place of PublicationBucarest
Year of Publication1973
Show Literature
Cat. Erfurt 1924 31 142
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Städtischen Museums zu Erfurt. Mittelalterliche Sammlung. Gemäldegalerie
Place of PublicationErfurt
Year of Publication1924
Show Literature
  • Christ as the Good Shepherd, about 1540

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr

Technical studies

03. 2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

- an underdrawing is not visible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

2012Technical Examination

Support

- the wood species was not examined

- the painting has a backboard, which was not removed therefore no further information is available

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Ground and Imprimatura

- probably original painted edge along the top, the other edges are abraded and this probably occurred when the painting was displayed in a smaller frame

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Underdrawing

- the underdrawing is occasionally visible beneath the flesh paint and the paint layers of Christ's robe

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Framing

- new

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Condition Reports

Date2012

  • different levels of surfacce gloss (more matte in appearance, particularly around the edges)

  • fine network of craquelée (particularly visible in the darker areas of the painting)

  • the panel exhibits a slight convex warp (c. 0.3 cm)

  • uneven surface (particularly in the paler areas where varnish has collected to create small, round, brown dots)

  • small paint losses, retouches

[Angermuseum, revised 2012]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ as the Good Shepherd', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AME_4411/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ as the Good Shepherd', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_AME_4411/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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