Portrait of Martin Luther

Painting on beech

Medium

Painting on beech

[Bildindex, accessed 15.01.2024]

A bust-length portrait of Luther wearing a cap and an academic gown, facing right, against a blue background.

[cda 2024]

Attributions: Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder ?
unknown

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder ?	[cda 2024]
unknown	[Letter from D. Koepplin to Lempertz, Cologne, 03.09.1980; Koepplin Archive]

Dating: 1532
1532 or later

Dating

1532	[dated] (not genuine]
1532 or later	[cda 2024]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 37.5 x 24.5 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 37.5 x 24.5 cm
[Bildindex, accessed 15.01.2024]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia at the left edge, centre: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1532'; in black paint (not authentic)

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the left edge, centre: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1532'; in black paint (not authentic)

Labels: Reverse of the panel: - at the bottom, left: customs stamp, ink: PASS- UND ZOLLAMT HOF
- at the …

Labels

later inscription, stamps, seals, labels:

Reverse of the panel: - at the bottom, left: customs stamp, ink: PASS- UND ZOLLAMT HOF
- at the bottom, right: paper label: stamp: 'Marburger Universitätsmuseum | für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte | Marburg/Lahn'; handwritten in blue ink: 'Inv. Nr. 18.100 | Lucas Cranach d. Ä. | (Kronach 1472 - 1553 | Weimar | Bildnis | Martin Luther. | 1532'
- at the centre: paint, hallmark?: '+ x AL' (see photograph of reverse)

Owner: Kunstmuseum Marburg
Repository: Kunstmuseum Marburg
Location: Marburg

CDA ID: DE_KMM_18100
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMM_18100/

Provenance

- 'Aus dem Türckschen Nachlaß gekauft / C. Schneider aus Niebusch / Berlin 1858, Anbringungsort: Rückseite' (bought from Türk estate / C. Schneider from Niebusch / Berlin 1858, attached to the reverse). [1]
- Lempertz auction, Cologne
[Bildindex, accessed 15.01.2024]
- Lempertz auction, Cologne 1964, sale 479
[handwritten by D. Koepplin on a photocopy, Koepplin Archive]
- Lempertz auction, Cologne, May 1981, sale 582, lot 17 (as Cranach workshop)
[handwritten by D. Koepplin on the reverse of a photograph, Koepplin Archive]
- Kunstmuseum, Marburg, inv. no. 18100
[Bildindex, accessed 15.01.2024]

[1]However this information is not visible on the available photograph of the reverse.

Research History / Discussion

This bust length Portrait of Martin Luther wearing a Cap is an example of the portrait type classified by the KKL as 'Portrait type V' (from 1530 to about 1540). A preparatory drawing may have provided the template: [UK_DCT_DCT001]. Other versions include: [DE_HSBBW_Ia20]; [US_MMANY_55-220-2] and [DK_SMK_KMSsp720].

A very similar version is paired with Philipp Melanchthon: [DE_smbGG_617] and [PRIVATE_NONE-P408].

[cda 2024]

Portrait of Martin Luther, 1532

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMM_18100/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KMM_18100/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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