Epitaph for Paul Eber and his Family: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Title

[cda 2019]

Painting on hardwood

Medium

Painting on hardwood

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101]

The epitaph exhibits the typical structure of a renaissance aedicule frame. Consoles flank the central panel by Lucas Cranach the Younger, above this there was originally a finial with a medallion, showing a personification of hope, surrounded by the heads of angels. A small plaque bearing Eber's symbolum was attached below the painting: SYMBOLVM REVERENDI VIRI D[omi]N[i] D[octoris] PAVLI EBERI: PSAL: CXIX LVCERNA PEDIBVS MEIS VERBVM TVVM, ET LVMEN SEMITIS MEIS. In the zone immediately below the ledge - flanked by small concave pilasters with ionic capitals - there are four columns of German text, written in rhyming verse. Beneath this is a relatively large panel with a text in Latin and framed by an imitation metal band with floral ornaments.

It is immediately apparent that the painting is a 'visual sermon', which is rich in content. The origin of the subject can be found in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard from St Matthew's Gospel (Mt 20,1-16). It tells the story of a landowner who over the course of a day hires five groups of laborers to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day they all received the same wage regardless of how many hours they have worked. This painting only depicts two groups, working independently of each other in two different sections of the vineyard, separated by a path that runs up the hill. The left side is occupied by representatives of the Catholic Church, dressed according to their station. The pope is shown, as well as numerous cardinals and bishops, and simple priests and monks. They are busy pulling out vines to burn, destroying the fence, filling the well with stones and generally causing such havoc, that the vines will no longer bear fruit. On this side the laborers are crowding out of the gate to claim their wages. At the head of the group is the pope who appears dissatisfied with his wage. Christ is shown here as the landowner accompanied by his apostles. On the opposite side of the vineyard the situation is quite different. Here the reformers are at work in academic gowns. They are so busy that they do not even think to stop to claim their wages. Depicted beside Paul and Helene Eber are their four daughters and six sons, while behind them there are three further sons as well as the son-in-law Johann Leupold.

the following reformers are present:

Martin Luther (1483-1546), Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), Johannes Forster (1496-1558), Caspar Cruciger (1504-1548), Justus Jonas (1493-1555), Georg Major (1502-1574), Paul Krell (1531-1529), Georg Spalatin (1484-1545), Georg Rörer (1492-1557), Sebastian Fröschel (1497-1570)

Summary of: [Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101-108]

Attribution: Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101] [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 140]

Production dates: 1573 - 1574
about 1560 - 1570

Production dates

1573 - 1574	[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101]
about 1560 - 1570	[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 140]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 127 x 145 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 127 x 145 cm
Dimensions of text panel: 23 x 18 cm
Dimensions of cartouche with text panel: 74 x 193 cm
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101]

Signature / Dating: none

Inscriptions and Labels

written in four columns beneath the painting: Wundern magst dich o leser mildt,
Was das sey fur ein seltzam …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

- written in four columns beneath the painting:
Wundern magst dich o leser mildt,
Was das sey fur ein seltzam Bildt.
So stehenn thutt ann diser stadt,
Unnd viell gemeldes inn sich hatt.
So wiss und mercke vleissigk drauff.
Was deutung hann die zweene hauff.
Der Bergk die Christlich Kirch bedeütt,
Darin sindt böss und frumme Leuhtt.
Auff einner seitt Papistenn sinndt,
Ein gottlos böss und frech gesinndt.
Die reissenn gottes Weinnberg einn,
So er gebawtt durchs wortte feinn.
Den Brunn dess Lebens sie auch füln
Durch Ihre Werck, gotts gnad zuhüln;
Verfinstern also gottes Wortt,
Das leüchtet klar an allem Ortt.
Dagegenn auff der ander seitt,
Stehenn viell dapffer gelarter Leuhtt,
Mitt ihrenn Instrumentenn all,
So mann Im Weinnberg haben soll.
Die reümen, schneiden, binden, hawenn,
Den Bergk gottes sie wieder bawenn,
Sie tilgen aus all falschen lehr;
Thun trewlich fördern gottes ehr,
Den Brunn des lebens auch gar rein,
Sie wieder thun aufreumen feinn.
Unnd machenn wieder offennbar
Gottes gnad, so vor verfinstert war
Die Recht meinung O frommer christ,
dieses kunstreichenn Bildes ist.
Drumb danck du gott für seine gnadt,
Das er sein Wort uns wieder geben hatt.
- on a text panel at the bottom of the epitaph:
REVERENDVS ET CLARISSIMVS VIR DOMINVS PAVLVS EBERVS
SACRAE THEOLOGIAE DOCTOR ET PROFESSOR NATVS IN VRBE
FRAN-/ CLAE KITTINGA HONESTIS PARENTIBVS ANNO CHRISTI
MILLESIMO QVINGENTESIMO, VNDECIMO, DIE NOVEMBRIS
OCTAVO INFELICI QVODAM CASV EQVO EXCVSSVS,/ ET AB ILLO
LONGE LATEQVE RAPTATVS CORPORIS DECVS STATVRAM AC ROBVS
AMISIT PVER ANNO CHRISTI MILLESIMO QVINGENTESIMO,
VI-/ GESIMO QVARTO AETATIS TREDECIMO. VIDIT ANNO SEQVENTI
TRISTEM PATRIAE CALAMITATEM ORTAM A SEDITIOSIS TVMVLTIBVS
RVSTICORVM,/ TOTA PASSIM GERMANIA COMMOTORVM. POSTEA
NORIBERGAE AVDITO ALIQVANDIV VIRO CLARISSIMO D[omino]
IOACHIMO CAMERARIO ET IACTIS ERV-/ DITIONIS SOLIDAE
FVNDAMENTIS FOELICISSIMIS, VENIT IN HANC ACADEMIAM ANNO
CHRISTI MILLESIMO, QVINGENTESIMO, TRIGESIMO SECVNDO/
AETATIS VIGESIMO PRIMO, VBI DILIGENTIA ET ASSIDVITATI SVMMA
AVDIVIT ANNOS QVATVORDECIM LVTHERVM ET PHILIPPVM ET VT
ERAT INGENIO / DOCTRINARVM AVIDO ET CAPACI ET AD SVMMA
OMNIA FACTO, INTRA HOC TEMPVS COGNITIS OMNIBVS
PHILOSOPHIAE PARTIBVS SIC EMINERE ATQVE INCLA-/ RESCERE
COEPIT, VT ANNO MILLESIMO QVINGENTESIMO, QVADRAGESIMO
QVARTO, IN SENATVM PROFESSORVM COOPTARETVR AC
PRECIPVAM IN DO-/ CENDO LAVDEM OMNIVM TESTIMONIO DE-
MERERETVR. VIDIT ET HVIVS ACADEMIAE ET OPPIDI
CALAMITATES ET LIBE-/ RATIONES ANNO MILLESIMO
QVINGENTESIMO, QVADRAGESIMO SEPTIMO ET OBSIDIONEM
ANIMO EXCELSO ET MAGNO PERTV-/ LIT. ANNO VERO MILLESIMO
QVINGENTESIMO QVINQVAGESIMO OCTAVO PROPTER PIETATEM
DOCTRINAM PRVDENTIAM ET / FIDEM EXCELLENTEM
CONSENTIENTIBVS ACADEMIAE ET SENATVS SVFFRAGIIS AD
GVBERNATIONEM ECCLESIAE IN / HOC OPPIDO VOCATVS ET
GRAVISSIMO IVDICIO ILLVSTRISSIMI ET INCLVTI PRINCIPIS AC
DOMINI, DOMINI AVGVSTI SAXONIAE / DVCIS ET SEPTEMVIRI
MVNERE ILLO IVDICATVS EST DIGNISSIMVS, CVI PRAEFVIT
VIGILANTIA SOLLICITVDINE ET FIDE SVM-/ MA, ET QVIDEM INTER
MANIFESTA ET ILLVSTRIA PRAESENTIAE AC BENEDICTIONIS DIVINAE
TESTIMONIA ANNOS VNDECIM ADHIBI-/ TVS INSPECTIONI
ECCLESIARVM IN HIS REGIONIBVS, COLLOQVIIS ITEM SYNODIS
ECCLESIASTICIS ALIQVOT IN QVIBVS PRAECIPVE PRVDENTIA,/
VIRTVS, PIETAS FIDES ET INTEGRITAS EIVS PERPETVA ENITVIT
EVMQ[ue] CHARVM FECIT PRINCIPI, ACADEMIAE ECCLESIAE ET BONIS
VBIQ[ue] VNIVERSIS. / A[nn]O AVTEM M. D. LXIX. DIE DECEMBR[is]:
X. AETATIS LVIII. FRACT[us] NON TAM AETATE QVAM DOLORE QVEM
EX DISSIDIIS ECCLESIASTICIS PERCIPIEBAT / ACERBISSIMVM, ET
DOMESTICA POSTREMI ILLIVS ANNI SVI CALAMITATE, CVM PAVLO
ANTE TRIA FAMILIAE SV AE FVNERA EXTVLISSET IN QVIBVS ET /
CONIVGIS FVIT ELENAE KVFFNERINAE QVAM DILEXIT TENERRIME, IN
ARDENTI DEI INVOCATIONE PLACIDISSIME DECESSIT PROSPICIENS
AC PRESAGIENS / ANIMO MVTATIONES TRISTES, QVAE NON MVLTO
POST IN HAC SCHOLA EVENERVNT: HVIC DE QVATVOR DENIS
LIBERIS SVPERSTITES DVO FILI, ET DV AE NATAE, VT PATRI SVAVISSIMO
ET CHARISSIMO GRATITVDINIS AC PIETATIS MONVMENTVM HOC
SVO SVMPTV FIERE CVRARVNT.
Harasimowicz in: [Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 102-104]

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

CDA ID: DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW012
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_ESKStMW_NONE-ESKStMW012/

Provenance

The epitaph for Paul Eber was commissioned by two of his sons and two of his daughters [...] probably after 1572.
Today it is on the east wall of the choir in St Mary's, the parish church of Wittenberg.
[Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 101, 102]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 140

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015

101-112

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

Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937

50-52

140

Pl. 107

Editor	Staatliche Museen, Berlin
Title	Lucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1937

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Paul Eber was an important representative of the second generation of the Wittenberg reformers and he was also a close friend and associate of Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560). He was born on the 8 November 1511 in Franconian Kitzingen and was educated in Nuremberg and Wittenberg, where Melanchthon took him under his wing. He taught philosophy, physics and classical literature; in 1557-1558 he was appointed professor of Hebraic Studies and after Bugenhagen’s death he was also professor of Theology, became the minister of the parish church and the church administrator of the electorate of Saxony. After Melanchthon‘s death continued the tradition of his Sunday sermons and in the theological conflict of the time he played a large part, doing what he could to mediate between the extremists. He was also a competent poet and composed numerous hymns.

Summary of : [Harasimowicz in: Harasimowicz, Seyderhelm 2015, 102]

Epitaph for Paul Eber and his Family: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, 1573 - 1574

Images

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