Duke George the Bearded of Saxony

Duke George the Bearded of Saxony

Title

Duke George the Bearded of Saxony

[cda 2023]

Painting on oak

Medium

Painting on oak

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

A half-length portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony (1471-1539) facing right against a greenish blue background. He is wearing a black coat with a high collar and around his neck is a thick chain with a pendant from the Order of the Golden Fleece. His hands are clasped

A half-length portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony (1471-1539) facing right against a greenish blue background. He is wearing a black coat with a high collar and around his neck is a thick chain with a pendant from the Order of the Golden Fleece. His hands are clasped in front of him to display the ring on his index finger.

[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

'Oberdeutsch' (Upper German) [Cat. Frankfurt 1867, 31] 'Oberdeutsch' [Cat. Frankfurt 1843, no. 96] [Auct. Cat. Frankfurt 1829, no. 76]

Production date
after 1534

Production date

after 1534

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 19 x 14.4 x 0.8 cm

Dimensions

Signature / Dating

none

Inscriptions and Labels

Verso, on the panel (beneath the packing tape from 1972): - black felt tip pen: '96'

  • red ballpoint pen: '96'
  • pencil: …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Verso, on the panel (beneath the packing tape from 1972): - black felt tip pen: '96'

    • red ballpoint pen: '96'
    • pencil: 'B 96'

  • On the packing tape from 1972:

    • pencil: '96'
    • black felttip pen: '96'

  • On the outer edge of the frame:

    • bottom: pink colouring pencil: '96'

  • [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_Pr096-M76
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr096-M76/

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
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 31
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 9 096
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 4 076
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

Research History / Discussion

Possibly a copy after [DE_smbGG_635], but the execution of the ring and the hands, as well as the number of chain links are closer to another version of similar dimensions in a private collection [PRIVATE_NONE-P472].

[cda 2023]

  • Duke George the Bearded of Saxony, after 1534

Images

Compare images
  • overall

Documents

Technical studies

2021Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Support

- a single board (vertical grain); smoothed on the reverse; chamfered edges

Ground and Imprimatura

- double layer of glue/chalk ground with very fine particle size: the first layer is white, the second pale grey; the vertical structure of the wood is visible

Paint Layers and Gilding

Dark blue underpainting used for the shadow on the left; an opaque black paint application for the doublet (the chain links were held in reserve) and ochre for the beard. The pattern on the black material was created with fine grey brushstrokes; an opaque application was used for the flesh paint. The chain links were executed using a reddish brown paint, then white highlights were applied, with the addition of some red or yellow pigment. The originally dark green background was probably finished with a glaze. Finally the hair and beard were completed with fine white, brown and black brushstrokes.

Framing

- Prehn frame

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Condition Reports

Date2021

Support:

  • the panel has been thinned

Paint layers:

  • the background is very abraded, original green paint layer only visible in recesses and beneath the frame rebate

  • remnants of a later brown glaze in the background

  • old overpaint on the robe; the beard and contours of the face and hands have been repainted

  • occasional recent retouches with incorrect colour match

Coatings:

  • remnants of recent, yellowed varnish remain beneath the frame rebate

[Historisches Museum Frankfurt online, accessed 12.07.2023]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Duke George the Bearded of Saxony', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr096-M76/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Duke George the Bearded of Saxony', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_HMF_Pr096-M76/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.