Hercules steals the Apples of the Hesperides

Title

[Cat. Braunschweig 1976, 15] [Cat. Braunschweig 1969, 48, No. 717]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Klein, Report 1992]
[Cat. Braunschweig 1976, 15]
[Cat. Braunschweig 1969, 48, No. 716]

Hercules has already picked three apples and reaches for a fourth in the garden of the Hesperides, which is depicted as a piece of woodland with a spring at the edge of a great expanse of water. On the right side the Hesperides appear as three naked women, one of the three points a Hercules. Three sheep graze in the background between the figures of Hercules and the graces, and the colour of their fleece echoes that of the Golden Fleece. Along the bottom and left side of the panel there is a grey area, where the guarian of the Hesperidian garden, the dragon Ladon, lies after being struck down by Hercules.

The panel is part of the series 'The Labours of Hercules'.

[Görres, cda 2012]

Attributions: Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978, No. 408A]
Lucas Cranach the Elder	[Cat. Braunschweig 1976, 15]

Production date: after 1537

Production date

after 1537

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978, No. 408A]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 109.5 x 100 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 109.5 x 100 cm
[Cat. Braunschweig 1976, 15]
[Cat. Braunschweig 1969, 48, No. 716]

Signature / Dating: None

Inscriptions and Labels

top left: 'HESPERIDVM CAESO MALA DRACONE RAPIT.'

[cda 2013] Verso upper area on the wood: paper with handwritten information:

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

- top left:
'HESPERIDVM CAESO MALA DRACONE RAPIT.'
[cda 2013]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

Verso upper area on the wood: paper with handwritten information: 'Z.L.x[?] 6622'

Owner: Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig
Repository: Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig
Location: Braunschweig

CDA ID: DE_HAUMB_GG716
FR (1978) Nr.: FR408A
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HAUMB_GG716/

Connected Works

Provenance

1917 legacy of Frau Justizrat Hollandt

[Cat. Braunschweig 1976, 15]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978

408A

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	The Paintings of Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	New York
Year of Publication	1978

Show Literature

Cat. Braunschweig 1976

716

Author	Sabine Jacob, Rüdiger Klessmann
Title	Verzeichnis der Gemälde vor 1800. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Braunschweig
Place of Publication	Braunschweig
Year of Publication	1976

Show Literature

Cat. Braunschweig 1969

716

Author	n. a.
Title	Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Braunschweig. Verzeichnis der Gemälde
Place of Publication	Braunschweig
Year of Publication	1969

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

328A

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1932
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932

Show Literature

Hercules steals the Apples of the Hesperides, after 1537

Images

Documents

DE_HAUMB_GG716_FR408A_1992_analysis-report-001.pdf

Technical studies

03. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush; in combination with dark chalk?

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing; barely visible

- delicate, fine to thin lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours; no representation of volume

Deviations:

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

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder; or Lucas Cranach the Younger?

Comments:

- the veins are indicated with dark lines

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

14.05.1992Scientific analysis

Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

DE_HAUMB_GG716_FR408A_1992_analysis-report-001.pdf

Support

Identification of wood species: beech wood

Youngest annual ring: 1531

[Klein Report, 14.05.1992]

analysed by Peter Klein

Support made from the same tree

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Hercules steals the Apples of the Hesperides', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HAUMB_GG716/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Hercules steals the Apples of the Hesperides', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HAUMB_GG716/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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