Philipp Melanchthon on his Death-bed

In his inventory from 1913 Felix Becker described the painting, then located in the 'exhibition room' of the university library Albertina, as an 'oil (or originally water colour?) on canvas' painting depicting 'a life-sized half-length figure' of Philipp Melanchthon 'on his death-bed in a shroud (+ 19.IV.1560)'. According to him the painting was 'completely overpainted' and he was of the opinion that it was 'originally a delicate brush drawing executed directly on the canvas without a ground' as a sort of 'Tüchlein' painting. Now it is 'mounted on cardboard'. He attributed this 'all too comprehensive restoration' to the painter F. G. Solbrig, suggested also by a note on the reverse ('Restauriert vom Maler F. G. Solbrig 1840.'). Becker also suggested that he added the 'false Cranach insignia: winged serpent and the date 1560', which 'lies over the new overpaint'. However, despite this he accepted the painting as a work by 'the Cranach school, about 1560' and justified the date on the grounds that 'the rapid, sketchy manner....argued in favour of an original record made in front of the corpse'. He cites a comparable work, 'a smaller and more delicately executed repetition also from the Cranach school' as a 'repetition... in the Dresden gallery.' Annegret Janda-Bux saw the painting in 1951 in storage, whereas 'before 1945' it hung in the 'west room III'.

[http://service.uni-leipzig.de/eMP/eMuseumPlus; 03.2015]