St Stephen, King of Hungary

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black pigmented medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- long broad lines in combination with shorter thin line

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the essential shapes, forms and spaces and describe the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- numerous alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

'When the imprimatura was applied to the panel with St Stephen, King of Hungary (c.1511) the paint clearly ran, indicating the use of additional binding medium or diluents.[290]'

[Heydenreich 2007 A, 170]

- limewood (Tilia sp.)

- 2 boards

- widths from the left, top: 6.6, 23.2 cm, bottom: 5.9, 23.9 cm. (Examination report written by Birgit Hölzer 11.03.1991)

- thinned to a thickness of c. 0.1 cm

- original size

- the panel was framed before the ground was applied and during the painting process

- executed with a brush

- the contours and main lines within the shapes are indicated, more extensively in the face, the sweeping lines along the bridge of the nose are like veins, so that the underdrawing appears to be ambiguous here

- a rectangle, which cuts through the top half of the orb is like the handle of a sword

- the flesh paint is worked up in thin glazes

- the collar of the robe, which was originally light blue is dulled with a brown glaze

- the black background is painted over a layer of red earth paint

- there is oil gilding on the crown, the orb, the sword and in the background

- the adhesive is a transparent light brown

- there is a black glaze over the background

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 129]

Cross-section microscopy; incident light; UV light; EDX:

Cross-section No.: EP 069

Brief description of paint: Gilding, brocade robe

Sample location: left edge, Gold robe

Sample No.: 069

Microscopy in incident light: yes

Microscopy in UV light: yes

EDX: yes

Observations:

3. black layer: very fine black (lamp black) [EDX: Ca, Pb, Si, K, Fe, Al, no phosphorus; lamp black with calcium salt, silicium, lead white and some iron oxide?]

Decorative elements

2. Gold, thickness up to c. 1500 nm (rough measurement)

1. transparent reddish brown layer, adhesive

0. orange red layer with vermillion and white as well as glassy pigments, presumably the imprimatura as the ground is lacking [EDX: Pb: lead white, vermillion]

[Heydenreich 1995, unpublished examination report]

Histochemical test:

Red earth paint under the black background: a histochemical test was carried out by Bernd Hering, GNM, 1991

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 130]

Support:

• the panel has been laminated onto a lime wood board (0.5 cm thick)

• there are splits in the support at the top and bottom

• a cradle was attached to the reverse

• uneven areas in the wood have been evened out with canvas

Painted surface:

• it has been slightly overcleaned in the shadows of the flesh paint

• the gilded coat is slightly abraded in the chest area, the gold has partially been replaced

• a Dürermonogramm 'AD' was stamped into the background at a later stage, and presumably covered with a black glaze

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 129]