Epitaph for Johannes Bugenhagen and his Family: The Baptism of Christ

Title

[cda 2019]

Painting on hardwood

Medium

Painting on hardwood

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 113]

The surviving central panel from Bugenhagen's epitaph depicts the Baptism of Christ in the river Jordan set in an expansive landscape. Positioned in the central axis is a representation of the Trinity: Christ is shown knee deep in water, while the Holy Spirit is represented as a dove, hovering above his head. God appears between the clouds as a bust length figure with grey hair and a grey beard. They are linked by a vertical text band with the words: HIC EST FILIVS MEVS DILEC[tus] IN QVO MIHI BENÈ CO[nplac]VIT. John the Baptist kneels on the bank of the river at the right behind Christ dressed as a hermit. He pours water over Christ with his right hand and holds a large jug in his left hand. [...] Family members and friends of the deceased are gathered around the scene. Johannes Bugenhagen kneels with folded hands at the left side in the foreground and is accompanied by his five sons. [...] On the other side of the painting is Bugenhagen's wife Walpurga (1569), whom he married in 1522. She is accompanied by her four daughters. [...] At the head of the group on the hill is Georg Cracov, the husband of Bugenhagen's daughter Sara and the donor of the epitaph. Beside him is Bugenhagen's other son-in-law, Andreas Wolf, and behind him Georg Rörer, Bugenhagen's brother-in-law.

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 116, 117]

Attribution: Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 113]

Production date: 1560

Production date

1560

[dated]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 110.7 x 157 x 1.8 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 110.7 x 157 x 1.8 cm
Dimensions including frame: 122 x 169 cm
Clear dimensions: 110 x 158 cm
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 113]

Signature / Dating: Artist's inslgnia on the jug: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1560'; in yellow paint

Signature / Dating

Artist's inslgnia on the jug: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1560'; in yellow paint

Inscriptions and Labels

on a text band, running vertically from God's head to the hand of St John the Baptist:
HIC EST …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

- on a text band, running vertically from God's head to the hand of St John the Baptist:
HIC EST FILIVS MEVS DILEC[tus] IN QVO MIHI BENÈ CO[nplac]VIT.
- recorded in descriptive texts of the church:
EPITAPHIVM REVERENDI VIRI IOHANNIS BVGENHAGENI POMERANI,
THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS, ET PASTORIS ECCLESIAE VITEBERGENSIS,
MORTVI ANNO DOMINI M.D.LVIII. XX. APRILLIS, AETATIS VERO SV AE
ANNO LXXIII.
OSSA SVB HOC TVMVLO DOCTORIS SVNT POMERANI
CONDITA, SED SVPERAS INCOLIT VMBRA DOMOS.
PASTOR IN HOC TEMPLO MVLTOS PERFIDVS IN ANNOS
EXIMIA PAVIT SEDVLITATE GREGEM.
BIS DVO LVSTRA SVO SOL IAM PERFECIT IN ORBE
OCTOQ[ue] ANNORVM PRAETERIERE DIES:
LEVCOREAM QVANDO HANC PEREGRINVS VENIT IN VRBEM
ARX QVAE NASCENTIS RELLIGIONIS ERAT.
AT NVNC GRANDAEVVS MVLTO FRACTVSQ[ue] LABORE
ABSOLVIT VITAE FATA SVPREMA SVAE:
QVANDO SENEX DECIES SEPTEM ET TRES VIXERAT ANNOS
IAMQ[ue] ERAT INGRATVM VIVERE, DVLCE MORI.
DEBITA SI CAPITI EST VNQVAM REVERENTIA CANO,
ILLE SENEX CERTE DIGNVS HONORE FVIT.
NON SIBI DIVITIAS, SIBI NON QVAESIVIT HONORES,
PROPOSITVM, CHRISTE, VT TE CELEBRARET, ERAT.
ORE STYLOQ[ue] TVVM, CHRISTE, ILLVSTRAVIT HONOREM,
DETEXIT SATHANAE PONTIFICVMQ[ue] DOLOS.
ERRORVM TENEBRAS QVOQ[ue] TE DVCTORE FVGAVIT
E TEMPLIS CVLTVS RESTITVITQ[ue] TVOS.
MAGNAQ[ue], VT HOC FIERET, SVBIISSE PERICVLA VITAE
ILLVM SAXONICI LITTORIS ORA PROBAT.
ILLVD TESTATVR PATRIAE, POMERANIA, TELLVS,
DANIA IDEM MEMINIT REGE BEATA SVO,
IN QVA EVANGELII NASCENTIS SEMINA PRIMVM
NON PARVO SPARSIT SACRA LBORE SVO.
QVANTA ANIMI INTEGRITAS FVERIT, PROBITASQ[ue] FIDESQ[ue],
QVANTVM DOCTRINAE CVM PIETATE DECVS,
ILLIVS HOC SEMPER POST FATA FATEBITVR AETAS,
SI QVIS ADHVC CANDOR POSTERITATIS ERIT.
ODERAT EX ANIMO CAVSANTES IVRGIA LITES
ET SEMPER PACIS MENS STVDIOSA FVIT.
INGENII LVX RECTA FVIT VERVMQ[ue] COLEBAT,
PECTORE IN IPSIVS NON MICA FRAVDIS ERAT.
IVSTICIA NVLLI, NVLLI PIETATE SECVNDVS
VITAQ[ue] NON VILLA LABE NOTATA FVIT.
NON LAESIT QVENQVAM NON OBTRECTABAT AMICIS,
PROTVLIT INGENIO SCOMMATA NVLLA SVO.
NON ILLVM TENVIT DOMINANDI SAEVA CVPIDO
GLORIA NEC, STVLTIS QVAE SOLET ESSE COMES.
VIR SAPIENS, GRAVIS ET DOCTVS CASTVSQ[ue] PIVSQ[ue]
QVO CANDORIS LAVS CELEBRANDA FVIT.
MAGNANIMVS PRIMVM CHRISTO AVXILIANTE LVTHERUS
AVSONII FREGIT VIMQ[ue] DOLVMQ[ue] LVPI,
CONTVLIT HVC MOX SE DOCTOR POMERANVS AD IPSVM,
VT CITIVS CAEPTVM PROVEHERETVR OPVS.
LVX EVANGELII EST TERRARVM SPARSA PER ORBEM,
SEDVLVS VT DOCTOS SCRIPSIT VTERQ[ue] LIBROS.
CEV DAVID IONATHAN FIDVM DILEXIT AMICVM,
SIC FVIT HOS INTER NON SIMVLATVS AMOR.
SEDIBVS AETHEREIS VIVVNT NVNC AMBO RECEPTI,
PRAEMIA QVISQ[ue] SVO ET DIGNA LABORE CAPIT.
GEORGIVS CRACOVIVS DOCTOR F[ieri] C[uravit].
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 114, 116]

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

CDA ID: DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW011
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW011/

Provenance

The painting was commissioned to commemorate Johannes Bugenhagen the Elder. It was originally fitted in a wooden aedicule frame. According to written sources Bugenhagen's coat of arms 'a golden harp' was represented in the spandrels and there was a Latin text on a panel below. [...]

it was originally located on the east wall of the choir
in the late 19th century it was lent to the Lutherhalle
after 1966 it was returned to the parish church, where it was first hung on the east and then the south wall of the choir
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 113, 122]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015

113-124

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

Johannes Bugenhagen the Elder was born on the 24 June 1485 in Wollin (Pomerania) and died on the 20 April 1558 in Wittenberg. After studying at the University of Greifswald he became vicar of the parish church of St Mary’s in Treptow on the Rega (Trzebiatów). His first encounter with Luther’s writings was in 1520 and this inspired him to move to Wittenberg. Luther recommended him for the position as minister in the parish church of St Mary’s, as a teacher at the university and later as the church administrator for the Electorate of Saxony. Bugenhagen became Luther’s close confidant and confessor.

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 113, 114]

Epitaph for Johannes Bugenhagen and his Family: The Baptism of Christ, 1560

Images

Conservation History

Date1966

Conservation treatment

Harasimowicz in: [Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 122]

Date1928

Conservation treatment

Harasimowicz in: [Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 122]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Epitaph for Johannes Bugenhagen and his Family: The Baptism of Christ', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW011/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Epitaph for Johannes Bugenhagen and his Family: The Baptism of Christ', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW011/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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