Merseburg Triptych with the Betrothal of St Catherine [left wing]: St Jerome [recto]; St John Baptist [verso]

Title

[cda 2015]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[cda 2015]

Recto: full-length depiction of St Jerome, facing right and wearing cardinal's vestments against a black background. A lion crouches down in front of the saint and he removes a thorn from his paw.

Verso: full-length depiction of St John the Baptist in a landscape, facing right. He points to the

Recto: full-length depiction of St Jerome, facing right and wearing cardinal's vestments against a black background. A lion crouches down in front of the saint and he removes a thorn from his paw.

Verso: full-length depiction of St John the Baptist in a landscape, facing right. He points to the Lamb of God at his feet.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attributions: Master of the Pflock Altarpiece
Master of the Merseburg Altarpieces of the Virgin and St Catherine

Attributions

Master of the Pflock Altarpiece	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. Sup1A]
Master of the Merseburg Altarpieces of the Virgin and St Catherine	[Cat. Merseburg 2006, 66-67]
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder	[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 399]

Production date: about 1515

Production date

about 1515

[Cat. Merseburg 2006, 66-67] [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 399]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 74 x 25 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 74 x 25 cm
[Kunde 2006, 184-186]

Signature / Dating: none

Owner: Vereinigte Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg und des Kollegiatstifts Zeitz
Repository: Domstift Merseburg
Location: Merseburg

CDA ID: DE_DSM_NONE-DSM002b
FR (1978) Nr.: FRSup001A
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_DSM_NONE-DSM002b/

Connected Works

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Cat. Coburg 2018

56, 57

under no. 7

Fig. 2

Author	Klaus Weschenfelder
Title	Cranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of Publication	Regensburg
Year of Publication	2018

Show Literature

Cat. Merseburg 2006

66-67

Author	Holger Kunde, Markus Hörsch
Editor	Vereinigte Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg und des Kollegiatstifts Zeitz
Title	Das Merseburger Kapitelhaus. Domschatz, Domstiftarchiv und Domstiftsbibliothek
Series	Kleine Schriften der Vereinigten Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg und des Kollegiatenstifts Zeitz
Volume	4
Place of Publication	Petersberg
Year of Publication	2006

Show Literature

Kunde 2006

184-186

III.47

Author	Holger Kunde
Title	Der Naumburger Domschatz. Sakrale Kostbarkeiten im Domschatzgewölbe
Series	Kleine Schriften der Vereinigten Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg und des Kollegiatstifts Zeitz
Volume	3
Place of Publication	Haldensleben
Year of Publication	2006

Show Literature

Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005

399, 400

under No. 31

Figs. 180, 181

Editor	Harald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
Title	Cranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of Publication	Cologne
Year of Publication	2005

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

Sup1A

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Editor	G. Schwartz
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Basel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication	1979

Show Literature

Deckert 1935

Author	Hermann Deckert
Title	Der Dom zu Merseburg und seine Kunstdenkmäler
Place of Publication	Burg near Merseburg
Year of Publication	1935

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

353a

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1932
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932

Show Literature

Flechsig 1900 A

99-100, 101, 172, 287

Author	Eduard Flechsig
Title	Cranachstudien
Volume	1
Place of Publication	Leipzig
Year of Publication	1900
Link	page/n5/mode/2up

Show Literature

Flechsig 1900 B

Author	Eduard Flechsig
Title	Tafelbilder Lucas Cranachs d. Ä. und seiner Werkstatt
Volume	1, 2
Place of Publication	Leipzig
Year of Publication	1900
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/flechsig1900tafeln

Show Literature

Otte 1840

106-108

Author	Heinrich Otte
Title	Erläuterungen über einige Kunstdenkmäler im Dom zu Merseburg
Journal	Neue Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiet historisch-antiquarischer Forschung
Issue	5/1
Year of Publication	1840
Pages	106-108

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

[Flechsig 1900 A, 99 ] refers to a description from the year 1840 according to which three coats-of-arms were mounted above the triptych. The central and larger coat-of-arms applied to the diocese of Naumburg and the family von Schönberg, the smaller flanking coats-of-arms also applied to the house of von Schönberg as well as the Pflug family. Flechsig therefore assumed that the triptych was a donation by the Bishop Johannes von Naumburg, son of Heinrich von Schönberg and Ilse Pflug, who died on the 26th of September 1517. Thus he defines 1517 as the terminus ante quem for dating the retable, while stylistically he places it about 1514.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Merseburg Triptych with the Betrothal of St Catherine [left wing]: St Jerome [recto]; St John Baptist [verso], about 1515

Images

Technical studies

03. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

St John the Baptist [verso]

BESCHREIBUNG

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines; these are very short in the face and longer in the robe

- isolated hatching-strokes

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define the facial features; isolated representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms; almost no changes

St Jerome [recto]

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively economic and freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines; these are very short in the face and longer in the robe

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define facial features; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms; almost no changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2015]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Merseburg Triptych with the Betrothal of St Catherine [left wing]: St Jerome [recto]; St John Baptist [verso]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_DSM_NONE-DSM002b/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Merseburg Triptych with the Betrothal of St Catherine [left wing]: St Jerome [recto]; St John Baptist [verso]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_DSM_NONE-DSM002b/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.