Erasmus of Rotterdam

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Title

Erasmus of Rotterdam

[cda 2023]

Painting on oak

Medium

Painting on oak

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

The portrait depicts the humanist Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam as a half-length figure against a grey background, facing left. Erasmus wears the typical clothes of a scholar: a black hat and a black gown with a high collar and a fur lining that is visible on the lapels and the

The portrait depicts the humanist Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam as a half-length figure against a grey background, facing left. Erasmus wears the typical clothes of a scholar: a black hat and a black gown with a high collar and a fur lining that is visible on the lapels and the sleeves.

[cda 2023]

Attributions
Copy after Lucas Cranach the Elder
unknown

Attributions

Copy after Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

unknown

[Cat. Frankfurt 1867, 30] [Cat. Frankfurt 1843, no. 69] [Auct. Cat. Frankfurt 1829, no. 86]

Hans Holbein the Elder

'86 J: Holbein pere', on the reverse of the support [Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Production date
about 1600 - 1699

Production date

about 1600 - 1699

'17th century (?)' [Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 19.1 x 14.3 x 0.5 cm

Dimensions

Signature / Dating

none

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the support: on blue laid paper:

  • brown ink: '86 J: Holbein pere'
  • pink colouring pencil: '69'
  • black felttip pen: '69'
  • crayon: …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the support: on blue laid paper:

    • brown ink: '86 J: Holbein pere'
    • pink colouring pencil: '69'
    • black felttip pen: '69'
    • crayon: '[7]2'
    • on a white label stuck over this with black ink: 'P72'

  • on the outer side of the frame:

    • at the top, pink colouring pencil: '69'
    • at the bottom, blue ink: '72'

  • [Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Owner
Historisches Museum Frankfurt a.M.
Repository
Historisches Museum Frankfurt a.M.
Location
Frankfurt am Main
CDA ID
DE_HMF_Pr069-M86
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr069-M86/

Provenance

  • (at an unknown date) entered the collection of Johann Valentin Prehn (1749-1821)
  • in 1829 his son, Ernst Friedrich Carl Prehn, withdrew the so-called 'Kleines Kabinett' from the auction of his father's collection
  • in 1839 the city of Frankfurt accepted the cabinet as a gift and transferred it to the Municiple library (Stadtbibliothek), where from 1842 it was on public display
  • from 1867 Prehn's cabinet was then displayed in the 'Saalhof', together with other paintings in the municipal collection
  • in 1878 it entered the collection of the Historisches Museum Frankfurt (HMF)
    [Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Exhibitions

Freiburg 1994

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Frankfurt 2021
EditorWolfgang Cilleßen, Anja Damaschke, Julia Ellinghaus, Gerhard Kölsch
TitlePrehns Bilderparadies. Die einzigartige Gemäldesammlung eines Frankfurter Konditors der Goethezeit [Historisches Museum Frankfurt]
Place of PublicationFrankfurt am Main
Year of Publication2021
Show Literature
Cillessen, Ellinghaus 2012 82
AuthorJulia Ellinghaus, Wolfgang Cilleßen
TitleBilder-Akademie. Das Gemäldekabinett des Konditormeisters Johann Valentin Prehn (1749-1821)
Publicationin Anja Johann, ed., Frankfurter Sammler und Stifter [eine Dauerausstellung des Historischen Museums Frankfurt ; eröffnet am 17. August 2012 im Burnitz- und Stauferbau des Saalhofs]
Place of PublicationFrankfurt a. M.
Year of Publication2012
Pages73-98
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Freiburg 1994 48
AuthorDetlef Zinke
TitleJoseph Hermann (1732 - 1811). Ein Freiburger Maler und die Wiederentdeckung der Altdeutschen [Augustinermuseum, Freiburg, 30.07-01.10.1994]
Place of PublicationFreiburg
Year of Publication1994
Show Literature
Cat. Frankfurt 1988 50f.
AuthorViktoria Schmidt-Linsenhoff, Kurt Wettengl
TitleKatalog zu der Abteilung Bürgerliche Sammlungen in Frankfurt 1700 - 1830 [Historisches Museum Frankfurt]
Place of PublicationFrankfurt am Main
Year of Publication1988
Show Literature
Cat. Frankfurt 1867 30
Authorn. a.
TitleVerzeichniss der in dem Saalhofe aufgestellten städtischen Gemälde-Sammlung nach den älteren, theilweise berichtigten Catalogen
Place of PublicationFrankfurt
Year of Publication1867
Show Literature
Cat. Frankfurt 1843 9 069
AuthorJohann David Passavant
TitleVerzeichniss des auf der Frankfurter Stadtbibliothek aufgestellten Prehnischen Gemäldecabinets
Place of PublicationFrankfurt am Main
Year of Publication1843
Show Literature
Auct. Cat. Frankfurt 1829 4 086
Authorn. a.
TitleDie Gemälde, Handzeichnungen, Kupferstiche und Bücher, welche zur Hinterlassenschaft von Herrn Johann Valentin Prehn gehören
Place of Publication[Frankfurt am Main]
Year of Publication1829
Show Literature
  • Erasmus of Rotterdam, about 1600 - 1699

Images

Compare images
  • overall

Documents

Technical studies

2021Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Support

- a single board (vertical grain)

- smoothed on the reverse

Ground and Imprimatura

- very thin application of a white glue-bound ground; structure of wood visible

Paint Layers and Gilding

The underpainting in the background and the flesh paint was executed using grey paint containing oil; then a pale blue layer of paint with very fine pigment particles (Prussian blue/indigo?), coarser transparent ones, as well as occasional black and white ones was applied in the background. At this point the figure was held in reserve. Then the garment was laid in using dark grey paint, followed by a layer of black paint; the texture of the fur was achieved with fine brushstrokes applied to a layer of ochre paint; finally the opaque flesh paint was applied and modulated with glazes in the areas of shadow.

Framing

- Prehn frame

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Condition Reports

Date2021

Support:

  • the panel has been thinned and trimmed

  • it exhibits a concave warp

Paint layers:

  • very abraded, loss of detail

  • red underpaint in the background visible through the paint layers

  • shadows in the flesh paint overpainted to give the appearance of a beard, later overcleaned again

  • further overpaint in the garment, occasional recent retouches with incorrect colour match

Coatings:

  • remnants of old varnish compromise the appearance

  • recent varnish

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Erasmus of Rotterdam', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr069-M86/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Erasmus of Rotterdam', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr069-M86/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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