Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt

Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt

Title

Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt

[cda 2015]

Painting on parchment or paper

Medium

Painting on parchment or paper

[cda 2015]

A full-length double portrait of Princes Georg III of Anhalt (left) and his brother Joachim I of Anhalt (right). They are turned towards each other. The centre of the image is occupied by a large rendition of the Anhalt coat-of-arms with eight fields and three decorative helmets with organic ornamentation.

A full-length double portrait of Princes Georg III of Anhalt (left) and his brother Joachim I of Anhalt (right). They are turned towards each other. The centre of the image is occupied by a large rendition of the Anhalt coat-of-arms with eight fields and three decorative helmets with organic ornamentation. It is complemented by two coats-of-arms beneath and four either side. Georg wears a fur-trimmed gown and holds rosary beads and a book in his hands. His brother is shown in an elaborately decorated robe with fur-trimming and has gloves and a sword.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Heller 1854, 300]

Production date
1553

Production date

1553

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: unknown

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: unknown

  • [cda 2015]

Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia and date at the bottom right: serpent with bent wings and date '1553'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia and date at the bottom right: serpent with bent wings and date '1553'

  • [cda 2015]

Inscriptions and Labels
Titel of both sitters, handwritten by Melanchthon (according to Heller 1854, 300): - bottom left: 'GEORG fürst zu Annhaltt Thumrprobst Zu Magdeburgk und …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • Titel of both sitters, handwritten by Melanchthon (according to Heller 1854, 300): - bottom left:
  • 'GEORG fürst zu Annhaltt
  • Thumrprobst Zu Magdeburgk
  • und Meyssenn'
  • - bottom right:
  • 'Joachim fürst zu
  • Anhalt. ec.'
  • [Görres, cda 2015]
Owner
Kirche St. Marien, Dessau
Repository
Unknown
CDA ID
DE_MD-Lost_NONE-001
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MD-Lost_NONE-001/

Provenance

  • found on the 22.03.1822 while carrying out repair work on the tower of the St. Marien church in Dessau.
  • now lost
    [cda 2015]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Heller 1854 300
AuthorJoseph Heller
TitleLucas Cranach's Leben und Werke
Place of PublicationNuremberg
Year of Publication1854
Link v=onepage&q=Lucas%20Cranach&f=false
Schuchardt 1851 C 30
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Hönicke 1833 6
AuthorJohann C. Hönicke
TitleUrkundliche Merkwürdigkeiten aus der Herzogl. Schloß- und Stadtkirche zu St. Marien in Deßau, besonders das Anhaltische Fürstenhaus betreffend
Place of PublicationDessau
Year of Publication1833

Research History / Discussion

In 1550 Joachim I of Anhalt commissioned repair work to be carried out on the tower of the St. Marien church. However on the 7th of September, shortly before completion, the tower collapsed. Joachim and his brother Georg III decided therefore to have a new tower built. Georg died in 1553 so it was Joachim who supervised the building of the tower, which was completed in 1554. On the 22nd of March while repairing the top of the tower the double portrait from 1553 was found together with five documents written by Melanchthon. The last of the documents was signed by Joachim on the 23rd of October1553 and concerns the building of the church and the tower. It also lists the personnel in the service of the prince and contains an outline of the Anhalt lineage. (see Hönicke 1833, 5-6; for the documents: 6-36).

[Görres, cda 2015]

  • Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt, 1553

Images

Compare images
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Versions

Portrait of Georg III. of Anhalt [from the bible of Johann II. of Anhalt]
  • Portrait of Georg III. of Anhalt [from the bible of Johann II. of Anhalt], 1554
  • DE_SBB-Lost_fol-8-Iv
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Portrait of Georg III, Prince of Anhalt
  • Portrait of Georg III, Prince of Anhalt, 1553
  • DE_HABW_B121
  • Painting
  • Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MD-Lost_NONE-001/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Georg III. and Joachim I. of Anhalt', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MD-Lost_NONE-001/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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