Portrait of Martin Luther

Portrait of Martin Luther

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther

[CDA 2011]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Portrait of Martin Luthers against a plain background, bareheaded, with grey hair, wearing a black cloak, facing right. He holds a book.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Exhib. Cat. Weimar 2015, 88] [Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Production date
1546

Production date

1546

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 64 x 47 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 64 x 47 cm

  • [Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia left next to the shoulder: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1546'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia left next to the shoulder: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1546'

  • [cda 2010]

Owner
Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Museums
Repository
Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Museums
Location
Weimar
CDA ID
DE_KSW_G15
FR (1978) Nr.
FR423A
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_KSW_G15/

Provenance

  • in the so-called blue room (Blaue Stube) in the 'Neuen Lusthauses', in the chamber of the duchess on the second floor, there was a painting depicting 'Dr. Martinus Luther Contrafactur' (StaW: Aa 1240-1261, fol. 121 v), in the same location in 1602/03 there was 'A panel in a frame depicting D. Martinus Lutherus in the year 1546' ('Ein Taffel in ramen, darauff D. Martinus Lutherus abgemahlt, im Jahre 1546') (Sta W: A 551 a, fol. 227 v). The identification is however, not clear as a standing figure of Luther ('im ganzen Stande') is recorded in the same room in 1620. This is probably a reference to a minature (Sta W: B 8876 m, fol. 321)
  • 1860 transferred from ducal possession to the museum (Vermehrungsbuch 169)

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Exhibitions

Weimar 1883, No. 20
Weimar, Wittenberg 1953, No. 73

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Weimar 2015 88 55 Fig. 55
EditorWolfgang Holler, Karin Kolb
TitleCranach in Weimar, [Weimar, Schiller-Museum, 3 April - 14 June 2015]
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1992 73, 74 No. 25
AuthorHelga Hoffmann
EditorKunstsammlungen zu Weimar
TitleKunstsammlungen zu Weimar. Die deutschen Gemälde des XVI. Jahrhunderts
Place of PublicationFulda
Year of Publication1992
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 156 No. 423A
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Weimar, Wittenberg 1953 No. 73
AuthorWalther Scheidig
EditorDeutsche Lucas Cranach Komitee
TitleLucas Cranach Ausstellung. Weimar und Wittenberg
Place of PublicationWeimar, Wittenberg
Year of Publication1953
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 under No. 340
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1913 No. 159
EditorWillibald Hermens
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1913
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1910 No. 147
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
IssueSixth edition
Year of Publication1910
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1894 33 f. No. 17
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1894
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1884 27 No. 14
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1884
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Weimar 1883 No. 20
EditorKarl Ruland
TitleDie Luther-Ausstellung des Großherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1883
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1874 39 No. 67
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1874
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1869 34 No. 48
Authorn. a.
TitleKatalog des Groszherzoglichen Museums zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1869
Show Literature
Cat. Weimar 1867 No. 113
AuthorSixt Thon
EditorKunstsammlungen zu Weimar
TitleKatalog der Großherzoglichen Kunstsammlung im Palais zu Weimar
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1867
Show Literature
  • Portrait of Martin Luther, 1546

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

06.10.2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph

Equipment: ERESCO 42 MF 4 from the company GE.

Scanner: CRxFlex.

Parameters: 60 KV, 6mA, 20 seconds

Distance from object: 3m

[HfBK Dresden, Prof. I. Mohrmann, K. Risse, 06.10.2014]

  • created by I. Mohrmann
  • created by K. Risse
  • created by HfBK Dresden

04. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- dry medium, dark chalk

Type/Ductus:

- delicate, traced, thin lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

Comments:

- the design was traced

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

1988Technical Examination

Support

- two planks vertically aligned (one broad, one narrow)

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Condition Reports

Date1988

  • the panel (including the edges) is badly damaged by woodworm

  • in a past restoration campaign the reverse of the panel was covered with a thick chalk ground and two layers of oil paint, the side and bottom edges of the panel have been reconstructed with a fill material, the top edge has been extended by c. 8mm.

  • the paint layers in the robe on the left have been covered with a fill material and overpainted

  • the varnish has darkened considerably

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Conservation History

Date1990

No information

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Date1972

No information

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

Date1920

No information

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 74]

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_KSW_G15/ (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_KSW_G15/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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