Christ and the Adulteress

Christ and the Adulteress

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

Medium

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2011]

In the depiction of this scene from St John's Gospel (8, 1-11) the artist employs half-length figures. Christ stands in the centre of the image wearing a blue robe with a red cloak. His right hand is raised. The adulteress stands to his left with her head bowed and gazes

In the depiction of this scene from St John's Gospel (8, 1-11) the artist employs half-length figures. Christ stands in the centre of the image wearing a blue robe with a red cloak. His right hand is raised. The adulteress stands to his left with her head bowed and gazes down. She wears a sumptuous black robe with a border of gold brocade.

Behind them on the left edge of the painting is a group of men holding stones in their hands. There is another group on the right side.

A church interior is suggested in the background.

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2011] [Sandner 1998 B, 127]

Production date
about 1520

Production date

about 1520

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 151, No. 5391] [Sandner 1998 B, 89]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 80.5 x 108.2 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 80.5 x 108.2 cm

  • [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating

Winged serpent added at later stage by another hand on the overpainted background

Signature / Dating

  • Winged serpent added at later stage by another hand on the overpainted background

  • [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2011]

  • [Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 86, No. 16]

Owner
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
Repository
Fränkische Galerie, Kronach
Location
Kronach
CDA ID
DE_BStGS-FGK_692
FR (1978) Nr.
FR129
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS-FGK_692/

Provenance

  • 1633 acquired by Maximilian I., Elector of Bavaria
    [Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, revised 2011]
    [Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 86, No. 16]
    1804 transferred from Neuburg castle; on permanent loan to the Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen in the Germanische Nationalmuseum Nuremberg; during the 2nd WW transferred to the Cadolzburg central Franconia; at the end of the war the fortress was completely destroyed in a fire, excepting the outer walls
    See also the entry in the Lost Art-Database, Stiftung Deutsches Zentrum für Kulturgutverluste: Lost Art-ID 452010; http://www.lostart.de/DE/Verlust/452010 (accessed 17 Dec. 2019).

Exhibitions

Kronach 1994, No. 155
Munich 2011, No. 16

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Mayer 2021 Fig. 3
AuthorMiriam Mayer
TitleInschriften und Signaturen. Überlegungen zur Verwendung von Schrift in ausgewählten Werken von Hans Kemmer.
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages103-113
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel 2015 198 under No. 55
EditorJulia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha
TitleBild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Gotha, Herzogliches Museum; Kassel, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Cat. Kronach 2014 246-249 93
AuthorMatthias Weniger
TitleFränkische Galerie. Zweigmuseum des Bayerischen Nationalmuseums. Festung Rosenbach Kronach
Place of PublicationPetersberg
Year of Publication2014
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011 86-89, 135 Nos. 16, 692 Figs. p. 87-89
AuthorMartin Schawe
EditorBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
TitleCranach in Bayern
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Show Literature
Aikema 2010 26
AuthorBernard Aikema
TitleCranach. A different Renaissance
Publicationin Anna Coliva, Bernhard Aikema, eds., Cranach l'altro rinascimento, a different Renaissance, Exhib.Cat. Rome
Place of PublicationRome
Year of Publication2010
Pages13-33
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010 228-229 145 pp. 228, 253
EditorBozarbooks & Lannoo, Guido Messling
TitleDie Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Die Welt des Lucas Cranach", Palast der Schönen Künste, Brüssel, 20. Oktober 2010 - 23. Januar 2011]
Place of PublicationBrussels
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2005 100 (English version 40) under no. 22
EditorObrazárna Pražského hradu, Kaliopi Chamonikola
TitlePod znamením okrídleného hada. Lucas Cranach a ceské zeme. Under the winged Serpent. Lucas Cranach and the Czech Land
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Eisenach 1998 127 No. 14.7 Fig. 14.7
EditorWartburg-Stiftung, Eisenach, Fachhochschule , Ingo Sandner
TitleUnsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen. Ausstellungskatalog und Tagungsband Katalogteil 1; 2: Werkstatt und Schüler Cranachs; 3: Süddeutsche Meister; 4: Albrecht Dürer und sein Kreis; 5: Rheinische Meister
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages229-240
Show Literature
Sandner 1998 B 89
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleCranach als Zeichner auf dem Malgrund
Publicationin Ingo Sandner, Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach and Fachhochschule Köln, eds., Unsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Eisenach
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages83-95
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 331, 333 155 Fig. 155
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
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 96 No. 129 Fig. 129
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

This is the earliest example of the many depictions of this subject produced in the Cranach workshop. In the 17th century the painting was considerably altered by enlarging it and extensive overpaint. Remains of these changes are visible in the rendition of the architecture in the background and the overpainted hand of the adulteress, that was originally held by Christ.

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 86, No. 16]

  • Christ and the Adulteress, about 1520

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

  • analysed by Peter Klein
  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph

Versions

Christ and the Adulteress
  • Christ and the Adulteress, about 1520
  • DE_BSTGS-GNMN-Lost_Gm209
  • Painting
  • Bayrische Staatsgemäldesammlungen

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ and the Adulteress', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS-FGK_692/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ and the Adulteress', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS-FGK_692/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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