Epitaph for Sara Cracov, nee Bugenhagen: The Crucifixion

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood
Inscription on softwood

[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]

The epitaph now consists of a painting and an inscription mounted in a wooden frame from the 20th century. [...] The painting depicts the crucifixion with the family of the deceased kneeling below. The central and upper pictorial space is occupied by three crosses on which Christ and the two thieves hang. At the left the good thief looks at Christ with an expression of hope, while on the right the bad thief looks away. He is symbolically identified by a fly that has landed on his left leg. In the background there is a town that stretches from the left edge to the centre of the image, and a river with a large bridge. Above the town a castle is visible on a rocky outcrop. A meadow with sheep and shepherds stretches out at the left in front of the town. Here a white lamb is shown fighting with a ram. Members of the Cracov family kneel beneath the three crosses: at the left Georg and four sons, among them two small boys in shrouds, at the right Sara is shown with three daughters. The family coats of arms are represented in the lower corners.

[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125, 127]

Attributions: Lucas Cranach the Younger
Peter Spitzer

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger	and Peter Spitzer [Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]
Peter Spitzer	and Lucas Cranach the Younger [Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]

Dating: after 1565

Dating

after 1565

[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 125.6 x 100.6 x 1.9 - 2.5 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 125.6 x 100.6 x 1.9 - 2.5 cm
Dimensions of panel with inscription: 38 x 102.5 x 2.1 cm
Dimensions including frame: 179.5 x 124 x 4.9 cm
Clear dimensions (image): 123.4 x 99.3 cm
Clear dimensions (text): 39.9 x 99.3 cm
[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]

Signature / Dating: none

Inscriptions: - on the text panel: HEIC PROPE DILECTVM SVM CONDITA SARA PARENTEM,
QVI BVGENHAGII NOMINE CLARVS ERAT.
EXTERIORE LOCO …

Inscriptions

Inscriptions:

- on the text panel:
HEIC PROPE DILECTVM SVM CONDITA SARA PARENTEM,
QVI BVGENHAGII NOMINE CLARVS ERAT.
EXTERIORE LOCO TEMPLI MEA SCVLPTA FIGVRA EST,
ADDITAQ[ue] AETATIS TEMPORA CERTA MEAE.
QVAE FVERIT VITAE RATIO, QVIQ[ue] EXITVS HVIVS:
HAEC BREVIBVS NVMERIS SIGNIFICATA LEGE.*
PER TRIA CRACOVIO DOCTORI LVSTRA MARITO
FIDA THORI CONSORS IVNCTAQVE COSTA FVI.
INGENIO ET SANCTIS PRAESTABAM MORIBVS VXOR,
DISPLICVIT CARO NEC MEA FORMA VIRO.
QVATTVOR EX ILLO PEPERI, CHRISTO AVSPICE, NATOS,
TER QVOQ[ue] FOEMINEA PROLE BEATA FVI.
SEPTIMVS ILLE LABOR LVCINAE SVSTVLIT AEGRAM
CLAVDENTEM IN CHRISTI FATA SVPREMA FIDE.
AT ME NON FICTO COMPLEXVS AMORE MARITVS
CONSTITVIT LVCTVS HAEC MONVMENTA SVI.
TV QVISQVIS TRANSIS VITAE NON IMMEMOR HVIVS
DIC, NIHIL EST FIRMVM, PERPETVVMQVE NIHIL.
[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 127]

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

CDA ID: DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW009
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW009/

Provenance

- commissioned by the widow Cracov for his wife Sara and the whole family, it was initially located on the east wall of the choir beside the monument dedicated to her father Johannes Bugenhagen, who died in 1558
- at the beginning of the 19th century only the painted panel was mentioned and was located on the reverse of the altar
- it was then moved to the north wall of the choir
[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 127]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015

125-132

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 was created to commemorate Sara Cracov, the daughter of Johannes Bugenhagen (1485-1558), who was an eminent professor at the University of Wittenberg, minister of the parish church St Mary's and church administrator for the electoral state of Saxony. She was initially married to Gallus Marcellus (1521-1547) from Guben, the deacon of Wittenberg parish church; after his death she married the lawyer Georg Cracov (1575), and gave birth to four sons and three daughters. She died on the 17 December 1563, three days after the birth of her youngest son Johann, who died straight away. She was buried in the cemetery, near the east wall of the parish church St Mary's.

[Harasimowicz, Kulisz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 125]

Epitaph for Sara Cracov, nee Bugenhagen: The Crucifixion, after 1565

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Epitaph for Sara Cracov, nee Bugenhagen: The Crucifixion', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW009/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Epitaph for Sara Cracov, nee Bugenhagen: The Crucifixion', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW009/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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