Martin Luther, bust-length, facing right

See German version

- beech wood

- single plank, not trimmed. Bevelled on all four sides to a thickness of 0.7 cm; the chamfer is up to 7 cm in width

- marks on the reverse suggest that the panel was originally fitted in a grooved frame

- Dendrochronology: the following annual rings were measured: 152 annual rings, 1522-1371. The plank is from the same tree as planks used for the following paintings:

DE_smbGG_618; DE_BStGS_WAF169; F_MdLP_RF1767; F_MdLP_RF1184; FIN_FNG_AI316; DE_KSW_G6 (II); NL_KMMO_KM111-236 (I)

The youngest annual ring is from 1522. Generally with beech wood the entire section is used and only the bark is removed, therefore a felling date of 1522 can be estimated. The wood was then seasoned for at least two years before it could be used (Klein 2016).

- chalk ground

[Cat. Coburg 2018, 172]

Identification of wood species: beech wood

Plank I: 152 annual rings, 1522 - 1371

the youngest annual ring is from 1522; the earliest felling date is therefore 1522; following a two year seasoning period the panel could have been used from 1524.

[Klein report, 03.03.2016]

Support:

• at the centre a few isolated incidents of woodworm damage (inactive)

Varnish:

• the painting has a glossy resin varnish, which was probably applied repeatedly with a brush. The strong fluorescence of this layer restricts the identification of retouches under UV light to a few relatively new ones.

[Cat. Coburg 2018, 172]