Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

Title

Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

[cda 2020]

Painting on paper on coniferous wood

Medium

Painting on paper on coniferous wood

[Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

The panel shows the reformer and humanist as a half-length figure, wearing a black gown and a beret.

[Online database Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg: https://www.museum-heidelberg.de/Museum-Heidelberg/startseite/digital/sammlung+online.html; accessed 18.06.2020]

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

Production date
1543

Production date

1543

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 36 × 22.4 × 0.7 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 36 × 22.4 × 0.7 cm

  • [Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the right edge: serpent with dropped wings and dated '1543', in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the right edge: serpent with dropped wings and dated '1543', in black paint

Inscriptions and Labels

on the reverse: - top, centre on the wooden panel: old inventory label, handwritten in black pigmented fluid medium, …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • on the reverse: - top, centre on the wooden panel: old inventory label, handwritten in black pigmented fluid medium, quill (faded): 'Kat. Mays / No 317'; as well as more recent handwritten text, black pigmented fluid medium: 'G 66'

    • centre, square paper label with a printed number, black medium: '511'
    • left of the bottom centre, handwritten on a strip of cloth, black pigmented fluid medium: 'G 66'
    • bottom, right in modern handwriting, graphite (?): 'Lucas Cranach / Werkstatt'

  • [Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

Owner
Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg
Repository
Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg
Location
Heidelberg
CDA ID
DE_KMH_G-0066
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMH_G-0066/

Connected Works

Portrait of Martin Luther
  • Portrait of Martin Luther, about 1543
  • DE_KMH_G-0067
  • Painting
  • Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg

Provenance

  • from the Graimberg Collection, 1879 (Leger no. 28, Mays no. 317)
    [Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]
  • in Charles de Graimberg's collection since the early 19th century; this collection later formed the core of the Kurpfälzisch Museum's collection
    [Online database Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg: https://www.museum-heidelberg.de/Museum-Heidelberg/startseite/digital/sammlung+online.html; accessed 18.06.2020]

Exhibitions

Mannheim 2017
Mannheim 2017/2018

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Mannheim 2017 A 510-511 No. D.1.1
EditorAlfried Wieczorek, Stefan Weinfurter
TitleDie Päpste und die Einheit der lateinischen Welt. Antike - Mittelalter - Renaissance
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2017
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Mannheim 2017 B 190-191 No. D.15b
EditorAlfried Wieczorek, Christoph Strohm, Stefan Weinfurter
TitleReformation! Der Südwesten und Europa.
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2017
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Heidelberg 2013 243 No. HK 48
EditorKarla Apperloo-Boersma, Herman J. Selderhuis
TitleMacht des Glaubens. 450 Jahre Heidelberger Katechismus. (Ausst. Kat. Kurpfälzisches Museum der Stadt Heidelberg, Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg, Paleis Het Loo Nationaal Museum, Apeldoorn 2013)
Place of PublicationGöttingen
Year of Publication2013
Show Literature
Zimmermann 1960
AuthorWerner Zimmermann
TitleMelanchthon im Bildnis
Publicationin Georg Urban, ed., Philipp Melanchthon: 1497-1560. Gedenkschrift zum 400. Todestag des Reformators
Place of PublicationBretten
Year of Publication1960
Pages127-158
Show Literature
Leger 1838 5 No. 28
AuthorThomas Alfried Leger
EditorKarl von Graimberg
TitleErklärendes Verzeichnis der Denkmäler in der Graimbergischen Altertümer-Sammlung des Heidelberger Schlosses
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication1838
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

As a result of the lively religious discussions during the Reformation there was a large demand for portrait of prominent reformers. Numerous of these portraits were produced in the Cranach workshop. Generally these were executed by workshop members, following a prototype invented by Cranach.

Melanchthon studied from 1509 until 1511 at the University of Heidelberg, he graduated in Tübingen. In 1557 Elector Ottheinrich asked him to come to Heidelberg to assist with the university reform. Melanchthon made a significant contribution to the university constitution, which excepting some small changes, was effective up until the 18th century.

[DH, Online database Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg: https://www.museum-heidelberg.de/Museum-Heidelberg/startseite/digital/sammlung+online.html; accessed 18.06.2020]

  • Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon, 1543

Images

Compare images
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Technical studies

11. 2019Technical Examination

Support

- wooden panel, softwood: two planks (l.: 18.6 cm, r.: 3.8 cm (mid-value)), butt joined, adhesive not identified, left tangential cut, right radial cut, vertical direction of the grain

- verso: there was originally a c. 0.5 cm step along the edge of the panel, now only preserved at the top and the bottom, where the panel is just 0.2 cm thick

- the panel was probably fitted in a grooved frame (temporary?)

- plane marks are clearly visible (a narrow blockplane or a toothed plane (?))

- there is a black pigmented coating on the reverse, oil-based medium

- recto: fitted in a frame before attaching paper strips (optical identification: Y. Stoldt), c. 0.4 cm along the top and bottom edges not covered (exposed wood), adhesive not identified

Ground and Imprimatura

- very thin, pale ground applied to the front of the panel (probably a glue/chalk admixture)

- extends to the edge of the paper

Underdrawing

- visible in normal light: dark pigmented, fluid medium sketchily describes the main contours and essential details as well as isolated hatching strokes defining shadows

Paint Layers and Gilding

- very thin, pale ground applied to the front of the panel (probably a glue/chalk admixture)

- extends to the edge of the paper

- pigments suspended in an oil-based medium

- the paint layer is extremely thin, and was frequently applied in numerous layers with brushes of varying thicknesses, opaque paint was also employed as scumbles

- opaque paint applied with short brush strokes in the background

- the figure was initially laid in with dead colouring, prominent brush strokes are visible in the fur collar; the areas were then worked up with lighter and darker admixtures of the basic tone, using a wet-in-wet technique.

- the face and hair were defined using fine lines and hatching strokes (black/dark brown/white) to create volume

- an original coating could not be identified within the scope of this technical examination

Framing

- no frame; however when the coating on the reverse was applied the panel was fitted in a grooved frame

[Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

Condition Reports

Date11. 2019

  • stable condition

Support:

  • a strip of canvas c. 7 cm in width is glued over the join, the adhesive was not identified; prominent wood grain; left and right edges cropped; rough plane marks; coating containing wax applied to the reverse

Ground/ Paint layers:

  • the wood grain is clearly visible; numerous, often extensive losses and scratches extending down to the support, all older and retouched without being filled, retouches have since discoloured

Coating:

  • probably a coating containing wax, slightly yellowed and in places cloudy, the surface glossis uneven and it has sunk in the areas over retouching

[Kurpfälzisches Museum Heidelberg, revised 2020]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMH_G-0066/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMH_G-0066/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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