Epitaph for Franziskus Oldehorst: Raising of the son of the widow of Nain

Title

[cda 2019]

Painting on hardwood

Medium

Painting on hardwood

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

The panel depicts the Raising of the son of the widow of Nain from the seventh chapter of St Luke's Gospel (Lk 7, 11-16). The event took place close to the town of Nain, when Christ together with his disciples and numerous followers were visiting. As they approached the city gates they encountered a funeral procession accompanying a deceased youth, the only son of a poor widow to his final resting place. Christ requests the men who are carrying his corpse on a bier to stop and commands the widow 'do not cry'. Then he says to the dead youth 'I tell you to get up!' [...] The choice of this biblical story is justified, because Franziskus Oldehorst was not only a youth, but also an only son. [...] However, the setting is unusual: the biblical town of Nain is Wittenberg, shown here at the left side of the painting. A long funeral processions emerges from the open city gates. [...] A teacher and a group of students wait to participate in the ceremony at the gates of the cemetery. Two gravediggers are visible on the cemetery wall. [...] Jesus grasps the youth's right hand, arouses him from the lethargy of death, while reaching out to the mother at the same time. The words from the Gospel are visualized: 'He gave him to his mother'. [...] Among the participants are Joachim and Heinrich Moller, standing behind the bier, Johann Moller and his wife Anna, who follow the mother in the funeral procession and then some prominent figures from the Wittenberg church community with Paul Eber (1511-1569) and Georg Major (1502-1574) at the head [this section of the panel is badly preserved] .[...] Daily life continues in the usual rhythm: a carriage carrying a lord approaches the town, an angler catches fish in the moat, a beggar stretches out his hand for alms. [...] A town on the other side of the river can be identified a Hamburg.

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

Attributions: Lucas Cranach the Younger
Peter Spitzer

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger	and Peter Spitzer [Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]
Peter Spitzer	and Lucas Cranach the Younger [Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

Production date: after 1565 (1573?)

Production date

after 1565 (1573?)

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 149 x 97 x 1.8 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 149 x 97 x 1.8 cm
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

Signature / Dating: None

Inscriptions and Labels

formerly located below the painting: HAEC TIBI GAMBRIVIA IANVS MOLLERVS IN VRBE,
DVM TV LEVCOREA CONDITVS VRBE IACES:
HAEC …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

- formerly located below the painting:
HAEC TIBI GAMBRIVIA IANVS MOLLERVS IN VRBE,
DVM TV LEVCOREA CONDITVS VRBE IACES:
HAEC FRANCISCE TVIS MONVMENTA PARAVIMVS VMBRIS,
LEGITIMO SOROR EST CVI TVA IVNCTA THORO.
TE CLARVM INGENIO CLARI GENVERE PARENTES
VIRTVTE, OFFICIIS, RELIGIONE, FIDE.
HORVM IGITVR CVM TV VIRTVTIS SEMINA HABERES
AVXISTI STVDIIS MOX TAMEN ILLA BONIS:
VTQ[ue] FORENT OLIM REBVS COMMVNIBVS VSV,
FIRMASTI EXEMPLIS ET PATRIS ET PATRIAE.
NEC TAMEN HAEC SVMMVM STATVEBAS ESSE SALVTI
FINEM QVO DICI VITA BEATA QVEAT:
VERA TIBI VIRTVS SACRIS E FONTIBVS HAVSTA EST,
QVAE CREDIT VERBIS OPTIME CHRISTE TVIS.
ERGO ERAT HIC LONGE DONIS MAIORIBVS AVCTVS,
QVAM VEL ARISTIDES, VEL SACER ESSE NVMA.
NAM LVX IPSE PATRIS ***** HOC IN PECTORE VERAM
ERGO CREATOREM VENERANS ET DEBITOR HVIVS
TRANSEGIT CASTOS ET SINE LABE DIES.
AC VT ERAT FLATVS SACRI MENS VIVIDA SEDES:
SIC REXIT MORES HIC SINE LABE SVOS.
HEI MIHI QVAE SPES EST PATRIAE PRAEREPTA, QVOD ILLAM
OFFICIIS POTERAT; REQ[ue] IVVARE SVA.
SED MELIOR CAELVM PATRIA EST, VBI LVCE PERENNI
SPLENDIDVS AETERNI CONSPICIT ORA DEI.
CORPVS HVMI DORMIT; SOCIAE DVM REDDITA MASSAE
MENS SIT PERETVIS LAETA FVTVRA BONIS
MORTVVS EST FRANCISCVS OLDENHORST HAMBVRGENSIS
CALENDIS IANVARII ANNO CHRISTI M. D. LXV. AETATIS SV AE XXI.
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 149]

Owner: Evangelische Stadtkirche St. Marien, Wittenberg
Repository: Evangelische Stadtkirche St. Marien, Wittenberg
Location: Wittenberg

CDA ID: DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW003
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW003/

Provenance

in 1604 the panel occupied the central position of an epitaph monument, which was located on the fourth south pillar of the parish church St Marien
the other elements of the epitaph are now lost and only the painting has survived; it is not known when it was removed, but towards the end of the 19th century it was in such bad condition that it was taken to Halle
in 1928 it was lent to the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte in Hamburg; WW2 and the ensuing political situation prevented the painting from being returned
in 1998 the Institut für Denkmalpflege in Halle got it back
in c. 2001 the painting was returned to the parish church St Marien in Wittenberg
Harasimowicz in: [Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 150]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015

149-162

Editor	Jan Harasimowicz, Bettina Seyderhelm
Title	Cranachs Kirche. Begleitbuch zur Landesausstellung Sachsen-Anhalt Cranach der Jüngere 2015
Place of Publication	Markkleeberg
Year of Publication	2015

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The epitaph is dedicated to Franziskus Oldehorst, who was a student at Wittenberg University. He was registered there on the 9 July 1564. However, his academic career was brief as he died a few months later on the 1 January 1565 and was buried in the parish church St Marien or rather in the adjoining cemetery. He was originally from Hamburg and was the son of Franziskus Oldehorst the Elder and his second wife Katharina, daughter of Godeke Tode, a Hamburg council member. When he arrived in Wittenberg he was put up by Heinrich Moller (1530-1589), the professor of Hebraic studies, who was also from Hamburg. [...]. He had two brothers, Johann (1529-1590), the canon in Hamburg, and Joachim (1521-1588), chancellor and princely advisor in Lüneburg. The former was married to Franziskus‘ elder daughter Anna and arranged his brother in law’s funeral. All three brothers studied in Wittenberg as students of Melanchthon. This fact probably influenced the iconography of the image and the choice of people portrayed in the painting.

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 150]

Epitaph for Franziskus Oldehorst: Raising of the son of the widow of Nain, after 1565 (1573?)

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Epitaph for Franziskus Oldehorst: Raising of the son of the widow of Nain', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW003/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Epitaph for Franziskus Oldehorst: Raising of the son of the widow of Nain', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW003/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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