The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children

The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children

Title

The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children

[cda 2015]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[cda 2015]

The painting depicts a frontal view of Christ surrounded by mothers with their little children. While already holding one of the children in his arms he touches another one who kneels with his mother in front of him. Unlike Christ the group of women on the right wear contemporary dress.

The painting depicts a frontal view of Christ surrounded by mothers with their little children. While already holding one of the children in his arms he touches another one who kneels with his mother in front of him. Unlike Christ the group of women on the right wear contemporary dress. At the left edge the apostle Peter appears to want to hold back further women with their children and in doing so he turns his back on a group of male spectators. The foreground is occupied by playing children. In the background a church building is shown in a prominent position within a town centre (St. Annenkirche Annaberg-Buchholz?).

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attribution
Antonius Heusler

Attribution

Antonius Heusler

[Sandner 1993, 243]

Production date
1557

Production date

1557

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of painted surface: 173.2 x 139.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of painted surface: 173.2 x 139.5 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 190.2 x 156.7 x 4.8 cm

  • [Heydenreich, cda 2015]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia right edge on the block of stone 'A.H.' and dated '1557' in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia right edge on the block of stone 'A.H.' and dated '1557' in black paint

Inscriptions and Labels

A tablet bearing the inscription:
'1547 iar dinstag nach fabian seb / ist vorschide di tugentsame frawe ma / …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • A tablet bearing the inscription:

  • '1547 iar dinstag nach fabian seb / ist vorschide di tugentsame frawe ma / gareta paul schumanin

  • Im 1551 iar sonnobent vor cantare ist in / gott vorschiden der namhafftige paul / schuman - denen gott gnad'

  • Inscription upper right edge:

  • 'lasset die kindlin zu mir komen und weret ihnen nicht / den solcher ist das reich gottes'

Owner
Erzgebirgsmuseum Annaberg-Buchholz
Repository
Erzgebirgsmuseum Annaberg-Buchholz
Location
Annaberg-Buchholz
CDA ID
DE_EMA_EMA002
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EMA_EMA002/

Connected Works

The Schumann epitaph [left part]: Baptism of Christ
  • The Schumann epitaph [left part]: Baptism of Christ, 1557
  • DE_EMA_EMA001
  • Painting
  • Erzgebirgsmuseum Annaberg-Buchholz

Provenance

  • the painting consisting of two components was originally in a crypt in the St Trinity cemetery in Annaberg (recorded since 1706 in the cemetery, and since 1746 in the St Trinity Church)[1]
  • since 1885 in the Erzgebirgsmuseum Annaberg-Bucholz [1]
    [1][Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. 03/rechts]
    [Sandner 1993, 243]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Prague 2016 156, 157
EditorOlga Kotková
TitleCranach. Ze všech stran. From all sides.
Place of PublicationPrague
Year of Publication2016
Pages16-180
Show Literature
Wulf 2016 82f., 198f.
AuthorImke Wulf
TitleProtestantische Gemäldeepitaphien im Raum Wittenberg und in angrenzenden Territorien. Zur Entwicklung und Funktion des Gemäldeepitaphs vom Beginn der lutherischen Reformation bis zur Veröffentlichung des Konkordienbuches. 1517-1580
Place of PublicationPetersberg
Year of Publication2016
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel 2015 202
EditorJulia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper
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
Schulze 2004 27
AuthorIngrid Schulze
TitleLucas Cranach d. J. und die protestantische Bildkunst in Sachsen und Thüringen. Frömmigkeit, Theologie, Fürstenreformation
Place of PublicationBucha near Jena
Year of Publication2004
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Leipzig 1997 80f.
AuthorHerwig Guratzsch, Gisela Goldberg
TitleVergessene altdeutsche Gemälde. 1815 auf dem Dachboden der Leipziger Nikolaikirche gefunden
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication1997
Show Literature
Sandner 1993 241, 243
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleSpätgotische Tafelmalerei in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden, Basel
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1989 142
EditorManfred Bachmann, Albertinum, Dresden
TitleDer silberne Boden. Kunst und Bergbau in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1989
Show Literature
Unger 1979 8
AuthorHelmut Unger
TitleAnnaberg-Buchholz. Das Stadtbild im Spiegel grafischer Darstellungen aus vier Jahrhunderten. Annaberg-Buchholz
SeriesErzgebirgsmuseum Annaberg-Buchholz
Volume1
Place of PublicationChemnitz
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Steche 1885 47
AuthorRichard Steche
TitleBeschreibende Darstellung der älteren Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler des Königreichs Sachsen. Band 4: Amthauptmannschaft Annaberg
Volume4
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1885
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Together with its pendant (CDA ID DE_EMA_EMA001) this panel was originally located in a family tomb in the Trinity cemetery, Annaberg, where it probably occupied a niche in the wall of the tomb and from where it was removed in 1706. It is recorded that in 1746 the panel was installed in the Trinity church „unten im Gange, wenn man auf den Gottesacker geht, linker Hand" (at the end of the corridor when walking towards the cemetery) (AK Dresden 1989, S. 142).

This is an epitaph painting (or rather two) executed on two separate panels for husband and wife, which were mounted together in a frame with a rounded top. Epitaph paintings were usually placed inside a church, where most are recorded. Their use in cemeteries has also been proved, even if the evidence is slight, as these panels rarely survived the extreme weather conditions. As far as can be substantiated these panels and similar examples were set into a niche in the back wall of family tombs that extended along the cemetery wall. They may also have been used for swinging doors, as some of the recorded panels are painted on both sides. (Wulf 2016, S. 83ff.).

Unlike its pendant (CDA ID DE_EMA_EMA001) Margareta Schuman’s panel exhibits a painted text field with personal dates within the image. The deceased is named here first with her date of death, followed by the name of her husband and his date of death. At the same time the left panel shows usual epitaph representation of the deceased and her family members in the foreground.

[Wulf 2016, Kat.nr. 03/rechts]

  • The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children, 1557

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

03. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush and stylus (dark chalk)

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines; freehand construction lines in the architecture (stylus)

- numerous corrections

Function:

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

Deviations:

- alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms; some changes (e. g. the architecture in the background)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Antonius Heusler

Comments:

- probably after a preparatory sketch ?

- handwriting can found repeatedly on the panel: to indicate the colour to be used (?) on the woman at the left holding up her child ‚blo’; as initials ‚C S’ and ‚B S’ that may identify the sitters (the two women to the right of Christ); as a longer text that is not easily legible on the woman’s dress; and other isolated words that are illegible.

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

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Condition Reports

Date2016

Treatment not documented, very thick varnish layer

[Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. 03/recht]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EMA_EMA002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Schumann epitaph [right part]: Christ blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EMA_EMA002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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