The Lamentation of Christ

The Lamentation of Christ

Title

The Lamentation of Christ

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

Soft wood

[Heydenreich, cda 2017]

Attribution
Unknown

Attribution

Unknown

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

Production date
about 1520 - 1530

Production date

about 1520 - 1530

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 168 x 136 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 168 x 136 cm

  • [Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

  • Dimensions of visible painted surface: 151.5 x 118.5 cm

  • [Heydenreich, cda 2017]

Owner
Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Petri - St. Marien, Berlin
Repository
Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Petri - St. Marien, Berlin
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_EKGStPStM_1
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKGStPStM_1/

Provenance

  • 1945/46 transferred to St Marien from the Franciscan monastery that was destroyed during the war
    [Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

Exhibitions

Berlin 2009, No. VII.8

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Deiters 2009 165-168
AuthorMaria Deiters
TitleFranziskanische Bildthemen in der Ausstattung der Berliner Franziskanerklosterkirche
Publicationin Dirk Schumann, ed., Brandenburgische Franziskanerklöster und nord-deutsche Bettelordensbauten
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2009
Pages162-192
Show Literature
Tacke 1992 255 ff.
AuthorAndreas Tacke
TitleDer katholische Cranach. Zu zwei Großaufträgen von Lucas Cranach d. Ä., Simon Franck und der Cranach-Werkstatt (1520 - 1540)
SeriesBerliner Schriften zur Kunst
Volume2
Place of PublicationMainz
Year of Publication1992
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1975 B 40
AuthorErnst Badstübner
EditorGemeindekirchenrat von St. Marien und St. Nikolai zu Berlin
TitleDie Berliner Marienkirche und ihre Kunstwerke
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1975
Show Literature
Mila 1829 42
AuthorW. Mila
TitleBerlin oder die Geschichte des Ursprungs, der allmählichen Entwicklung und des jetzigen Zustands [...]
Place of PublicationBerlin/Stettin
Year of Publication1829
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

[According to] Andreas Tacke, the painting belongs to the Passion Cycle commissioned by Joachim II from the Cranach workshop in 1537/38 for the Cölln collegial church. There it would have- hung as a single panel on a pillar as there was not sufficient space for such a retable - and compensated for the missing subject of the Descent from the Cross. After the cathedral was vacated the painting may have been donated by the Elector to the Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster and thus ended up in the church of the former Franciscan monastery. However, even Tacke considers the stylistic discrepancy to be an issue [...]

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

The paintng is stylistically very similar to one depicting 'Christ taking leave from his Mother' that was created considerably earlier than the cycle for the cathedral. It is also from the monastery church and now hangs in the village church of Berlin-Schöneberg. It was commissioned by Jost Truchseß von Wetzhausen as an epitaph for Claus von Bach, grand commander of the Teutonic Order, who died in 1521 on a diplomatic journey to Berlin[1]. Both the Bach epitaph the panel depicting the 'Lamentation' may document an orientation in Berlin toward the Cranach workshop before its large commission for the cathedral.

[1][ Dieters 2009, 165-168, Fig.]

[Maria Dieters, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 263, No. VII.8]

  • The Lamentation of Christ, about 1520 - 1530

Images

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  • overall
  • overall
  • irr
  • detail
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Technical studies

03. 2016Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black medium, brush; possibly applied over an initial rough design

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing after a pre-existing design

- relatively broad lines, in part short lines and only rough indication of form

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines roughly define the main contours, describe essential details and indicate facial features; no representation of volume with hatching strokes

Deviation:

- numerous corrections to the forms were made during the painting process; small changes (e. g. the position of the eyes, in the loincloth etc.)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible (not Cranach workshop)

[Sandner, Heydenreich, Smith-Contini, cda 2017]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

Support

- Soft wood

- planks in horizontal direction

[Heydenreich, cda 2017]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Lamentation of Christ', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKGStPStM_1/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Lamentation of Christ', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKGStPStM_1/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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