The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg

The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg

Title

The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Painting on wood (paint layers transferred to a new panel)

Medium

Painting on wood (paint layers transferred to a new panel)

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Softwood

[Exhib. Cat. Aschaffenburg 2007, 270]

Pope Gregory kneels together with two deacons in front of the steps of the altar. Only the necessary utensiles required to celebrate mass are present on the altarpiece. Christ as Saviour appears above the altar with his arms outstretched, showing his wounds and wearing a crown of thorns. The instruments

Pope Gregory kneels together with two deacons in front of the steps of the altar. Only the necessary utensiles required to celebrate mass are present on the altarpiece. Christ as Saviour appears above the altar with his arms outstretched, showing his wounds and wearing a crown of thorns. The instruments of the passion are represented above and behind him in clouds animated by angels: the column, the lance, a detail of Pilate washing his hands, the trial, the denial of Peter etc.

The figures kneeling in front of the altarpiece register the wounds, Gregory even holds his hands in the same position as the manifestation of Christ. Albrecht von Brandenburg also looks in the direction of the altarpiece, while holding a tiara on a cloth in his hands.

Attributions
Anonymous Master from the Cranach Workshop
Master of the Mass of St Gregory

Attributions

Anonymous Master from the Cranach Workshop

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Master of the Mass of St Gregory

[Emmendörffer 1998, 204][Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. Sup011]

Production date
about 1520 - 1525

Production date

about 1520 - 1525

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 147 x 107 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 147 x 107 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Owner
Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
Repository
Staatsgalerie im Schloss Johannisburg, Aschaffenburg
Location
Aschaffenburg
CDA ID
DE_BStGS_6271
FR (1978) Nr.
FRSup011
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS_6271/

Provenance

  • from the Collegial Church, Aschaffenburg, provenance unresolved
    [Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Heydenreich 2021 B 59, 69
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleHans Kemmer: Spuren künstlerischer Gestaltungsprozesse. Teil II: Wittenberg
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
Pages59-69
Show Literature
Sandner 2021 79
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleDie Werkstattpraxis Lucas Cranach des Älteren
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
Pages71-81
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 112, 113
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011 141
AuthorMartin Schawe
EditorBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
TitleCranach in Bayern
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2011
Show Literature
Ermischer 2007 43-44 Figs. 1, 12, 37
AuthorGerhard Ermischer
TitleCranach im Exil - Porträt einer bewegten Epoche
Publicationin Gerhard Ermischer, Andreas Tacke, eds., Cranach im Exil. Aschaffenburg um 1540. Zuflucht, Schatzkammer, Residenz, Exhib. Cat. Aschaffenburg
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2007
Pages13-53
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Aschaffenburg 2007 306-308 No. 51 Fig. p. 307
EditorGerhard Ermischer, Andreas Tacke
TitleCranach im Exil. Aschaffenburg um 1540. Zuflucht - Schatzkammer - Residenz. Ausstellungskatalog Schloss Johannisburg und Kunsthalle Jesuitenkirche
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Schawe 2007 A 215, 219, 221 Fig. 1
AuthorMartin Schawe
TitleCranach in Aschaffenburg. 1814 bis heute
Publicationin Gerhard Ermischer, Andreas Tacke, ed., Cranach im Exil- Aschafffenburg um 1540. Zuflucht, Schatzkammer, Residenz
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2007
Pages215-225
Show Literature
Hecht 2006 81-115
AuthorChristian Hecht
TitleDie Aschaffenburger Gregorsmessen
Publicationin Thomas Schauerte, Andreas Tacke, eds., Der Kardinal. Albrecht von Brandenburg. Renaissancefürst und Mäzen, Exhib. Cat. Halle
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2006
Show Literature
Meier 2006 254-260 and passim
AuthorEsther Meier
TitleDie Gregorsmesse. Funktionen eines spätmittelalterlichen Bildtypus
Place of PublicationCologne, Weimar
Year of Publication2006
Show Literature
Merkel 2004 94f.
AuthorKerstin Merkel
TitleJenseits-Sicherung. Kardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg und seine Grabmäler
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2004
Show Literature
Emmendörffer 1998 204
AuthorChristoph Emmendörffer
TitleDie selbständigen Cranachschüler
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
Pages203-228
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Nuremberg 1983 No. 464
EditorGerhard Bott
TitleMartin Luther und die Reformation in Deutschland. Ausstellung zum 500. Geburtstag Martin Luthers
Place of PublicationFrankfurt a. M.
Year of Publication1983
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Cologne 1982
AuthorUwe Westfehling
TitleDie Messe Gregors des Großen
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1982
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 No. Sup 11
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Aschaffenburg 1975 63
Authorn. a.
TitleBayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Galerie Aschaffenburg. Katalog
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1975
Show Literature
  • The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, about 1520 - 1525

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Technical studies

2011Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Support

'Identification of the wood species was not possible as the original support was very damaged by wood worm and had been thinned ‘bis auf Papierdike’ (to the thickness of a sheet of paper) in 1884 (see also Inv. No. 6270 [DE_BStGS_6270_FRSup012])'

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

2006 - 2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- detailed and freehand underdrawing; traced lines in Albrecht’s face

- thin to broader lines

- initial design executed with diluted medium and washes

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential details and the facial features; broad brush strokes with a diluted medium, as well as washes and occasional hatching-strokes serve the representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Simon Franck/ Master of the Mass of St Gregory ?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

  • photographed by BStGS Doerner Institut
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Conservation History

Date1884

  • thinned 'bis auf Papierdike' (to the thickness of a sheet of paper) in 1884 (see also Inv. No. 6270 [DE_BStGS_6270_FRSup012])'

[Exhib. Cat. Munich 2011, 141]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS_6271/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Mass of St Gregory with Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_BStGS_6271/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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