Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh)

Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh)

Title

Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh)

[Wilkojc 2012, 68-69]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Wilkojc 2012, 68-69]

Christ stands at the centre of this upright rectangular composition shifted slightly to the left of the middle axis and holding a small child in his arms. Mothers with their children crowd in from either side and create a throng that fills the pictorial space. A group of apostles is

Christ stands at the centre of this upright rectangular composition shifted slightly to the left of the middle axis and holding a small child in his arms. Mothers with their children crowd in from either side and create a throng that fills the pictorial space. A group of apostles is included at the left edge.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Wilkojc 2012, 68-69]

Production date
1544

Production date

1544

[Wilkojc 2012, 68-69]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 83 x 120 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 83 x 120 cm

  • [Wilkojc 2012, 68-69]

Signature / Dating

Dated at the top '1544'

Signature / Dating

  • Dated at the top '1544'

  • [cda 2016]

Inscriptions and Labels

Top: 'VND SIE BRACHTEN KINLEN ZV IM DAS ER SIE ANRVETE
MARCVS AM X'
[cda 2016]

NACH CHRISTI VNSERS …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • Top:

  • 'VND SIE BRACHTEN KINLEN ZV IM DAS ER SIE ANRVETE

  • MARCVS AM X'

  • [cda 2016]

  • NACH CHRISTI VNSERS ERLOSER VND SELIG

  • MACHERS GEBVRT 1556 DIENSTAG NACH

  • ANDREAS IST IN GOT SELIG ENTSCHLAFFEN

  • DER EHRNFEST HER IOHANNES VNRUCH

  • DIESER ZEIT BVRGERMEISTER ALHIER ZV

  • ZWICKAV W [ - - - ]

  • ANNO 1567 DEN 20 IVLII IST IN GOTT

  • SELIG VORSCHIDEN ANNA EIN TOCHTER

  • HERRN ANHELMVS TVMSHIRNS SELIGEN

  • VND VERLASSENE WITWEN HERN IOHANSEN

  • VNRVHEN DISER ZEIT EIN EHELICHE HAVS,,

  • WIRTIN HERN WOLFFEN BRVCKNER DER

  • GOTT GNEDIG

  • ANNO 1562 DINSTAG NACH INVOCAVIT

  • IST IN GOTT SELIG ENTSCHLAFFEN

  • ANNA EIN HINDERLASSEN TOCHTER HERN

  • IOHAN VNRVHEN DER GOT GNEDTG:

  • [Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. Zw09]

Owner
Ev.-Luth. Nicolai-Kirchgemeinde Zwickau
Repository
Dom St. Marien, Zwickau
Location
Zwickau
CDA ID
DE_KAZW_NONE-002
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KAZW_NONE-002/

Provenance

  • originally hung in the baptistry (Dom St. Marien, Zwickau)
    [Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. Zw09]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Wulf 2016 261
AuthorImke Wulf
TitleProtestantische Gemäldeepitaphien im Raum Wittenberg und in angrenzenden Territorien. Zur Entwicklung und Funktion des Gemäldeepitaphs vom Beginn der lutherischen Reformation bis zur Veröffentlichung des Konkordienbuches. 1517-1580
Place of PublicationPetersberg
Year of Publication2016
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel 2015 202
EditorJulia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper
TitleBild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Gotha, Herzogliches Museum; Kassel, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Wilkojc 2012 68-69
AuthorEwa Wilkojc
TitleChrist blessing the children by Lucas Cranach the Elder in the collection of the Wawel Royal Castle: study and conservation
Place of PublicationKrakow
Year of Publication2012
Show Literature
Kirsten 2008 18
AuthorMichael Kirsten
TitleDom St. Marien Zwickau
SeriesKleine Kunstführer
Volume104
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Issue5., neu bearbeitete Auflage
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Schulze 2004 26
AuthorIngrid Schulze
TitleLucas Cranach d. J. und die protestantische Bildkunst in Sachsen und Thüringen. Frömmigkeit, Theologie, Fürstenreformation
Place of PublicationBucha near Jena
Year of Publication2004
Show Literature
Dehio 1998 1086
TitleHandbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler. Sachsen II, Regierungsbezirk Leipzig und Chemnitz
Place of PublicationBerlin, Munich
Year of Publication1998
Show Literature
Röber 1976 58-59
AuthorWolf-Dieter Röber
TitleDie Werke Lucas Cranachs d. Ä., Lucas Cranachs d. J. und ihrer Werkstatt im westlichen Erzgebirge [unpublished thesis]
Place of PublicationHalle
Year of Publication1976
Show Literature
Steche 1889 114
AuthorRichard Steche
TitleBeschreibende Darstellung der älteren Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler des Königreichs Sachsen. Amtshauptmannschaft Zwickau
Volume12
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1889
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The following people are depicted:

a) Unruh, Johannes b) Bruckner, Anna; néeTumshirn c) Unruh, Anna

Profession/ more details:

a) Councilman and mayor, Zwickau b) widow of Johannes Unruh; daughter of Anhelmus Tumshirn ; wife of Wolff Bruckner c) daughter of Johannes Unruh

born; died:

a) † 1556, the Tuesday after St Andrew's Day b) † 20.07.1567 c) † 1562, the Tuesday after Invocavit (the first sunday in Lent)

  • a further male family member is represented, whose name is not known

The epitaph was probably commissioned by Wolf Bruckner (Anna Unruh's second husband)

[Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. Zw09]

The panel is part of an epitaph consisting of the painted panel, a separate family table with an inscription and a wooden frame. It is clearly an assemblage of a panel from the Cranach workshop and a family table by another hand. According to the date the panel was completed in 1544, while the installation of the epitaph, including the family table, was not until after Johannes Unruh had passed away. As stated in the inscription he was a councilman and mayor of Zwickau. Furthermore he was without doubt involved establishing the Lutheran reformation in Zwickau, as in 1541 he hosted Philipp Melanchthon in his home in Zwickau. […]

The figure of the female protagonist at the centre could be a criterion to distinguish between the numerous versions. She either offers a child to Christ or like in the Zwickau version joins her hands in an attitude of prayer. It is possible that the panels showing a female figure in prayer at the centre were intended to be used as epitaphs. This assumption is reinforced by the version in Schleswig (see CDA ID: DE_SHLM_1989-480), which in addition to the woman praying also represents a father beside his deceased son in the foreground. [Wulf 2016: Kat.nr. Zw09]

  • Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh), 1544

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

10. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid, dark medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- detailed underdrawing, in sections copied

- relatively thin to somewhat broader lines (e. g. the arrangement of the folds)

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours, define forms therein and describe facial features; no representation of volume with hatching strokes

Deviations:

- small corrections were made to forms during the painting process

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Comments:

- transferred from a pre-existing design

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2017]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh)', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KAZW_NONE-002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ blessing the Children (Epitaph painting for the tomb of Bürgermeister Johann Unruh)', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KAZW_NONE-002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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