Johann the Steadfast, Elector of Saxony

• the three paintings were brought from Wittenberg to Weimar together with, among others, portraits of Luther and Melanchthon during the imprisonment of Johann Friedrich and after the relocation of his residence in 1549. The intention to store them in the Wartburg was not carried out [Junius 1926, 226-260, particularly p. 246].
• in the inventory of the 'Neues Lusthaus' from 1572 five saxon electors ('V sechsischer Churfürst') were listed among the 'Conterfetten' in the 'Mittleren Sahl' (also so-called green salon (Grüner Saal) on the first floor) (Sta W: Reg. Aa 1240-61, fol. 107); in 1602/03 they were in the same location ('Funff unterschiedliche taffeln, in rahmen gefasst, daran funff Churfursten zu Sachssen, Jeder in seinem Chur Rocke mitt dem Churschwedt Undt Hutt abgemahlt', see Sta W: A 551 a, fol. 224 v). In addition to the three present portraits the remaining two could only have depicted two of the three previous electors: Ernst (1441-1486), Friedrich II. (1412-1464) and Friedrich I. (1370-1428).
  At the time of Joh. Seb. Bach the paintings were in the hereditary ranks of the court church (Hofkirche). Saved from the fire of 1774, they hung until 1804 in the Stadtkirche St. Peter and Paul, from there they were transferred to the ducal library [Großherzogliche Bibliothek) [Schöll 1847, 151, Fn.]; [Verzeichnis XVII b 44, 45, 46]
• 1869 entered the museum

[Hoffmann, Cat. Weimar 1992, 85, 86]

Weimar 1883, Nos. 54, 59, 67
Weimar, Wittenberg 1953, No. 65 a