Portrait of Martin Luther

Portrait of Martin Luther

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Painting on oak wood

Medium

Painting on oak wood

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]
[Klein, Report 1994]

The reformer is depicted here bare-headed in the attire of a protestant minister, with aged features and grey hair. He has a white collar around his neck, which is strung at the centre and has black-trimming and is over an upright collar. The book held by Luther on the panel

The reformer is depicted here bare-headed in the attire of a protestant minister, with aged features and grey hair. He has a white collar around his neck, which is strung at the centre and has black-trimming and is over an upright collar. The book held by Luther on the panel in Kassel is a reference to the pictorial type from 1532 (Friedländler/Rosenberg 1979, No. 314), but it is held higher than in the earlier portrait. The volume shown is thicker and may in this case be a bible.

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 101]

Attribution
Copy after Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Copy after Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Production date
about 1565

Production date

about 1565

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 24.7/24.8 (left/right) x 18.7/18.8 (bottom/top) x 1 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 24.7/24.8 (left/right) x 18.7/18.8 (bottom/top) x 1 cm

  • [Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels
  • in the top left corner:
    'D: MARTIN.
    LVTHER'

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99] Recto: - in the bottom left corner:

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • in the top left corner:

  • 'D: MARTIN.

  • LVTHER'

  • [Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Recto: - in the bottom left corner:

  • barely visible in red paint 'Nr. 499'

  • Reverse of the panel:

    • in black ink: 'Dieses Porträts ist mir von des Herrn Landgrafen Hochfürstl. Durchlaut aus höchst eigener Bewegung gnädigst verehrt worden, und zwar am 26ten Febr. 1781 bey Gelegenheit da Höchstdieselben die Schildereyen aus dem Hauße die Bellevue genannt, wegräumen lassen, um solches für das Künftige Fräulein-Erziehungsinstitut zu widmen, und ich der Ober Camerherr von Wittorf als Director des Stiffts, zugegen war.'

  • label from the Staatlichen Museen Kassel (20th century)

  • [Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Owner
Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel
Repository
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel
Location
Kassel
CDA ID
DE_MHK_GK1024
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MHK_GK1024/

Connected Works

Portrait of Katharina von Bora
  • Portrait of Katharina von Bora, about 1565
  • DE_MHK_GK1025
  • Painting
  • Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel

Provenance

  • probably entered the collection of the landgrave at an early stage
  • first recorded at the time of Landgrave Friedrich II. (1760-1785), who in 1781 donated the panel to the chamberlain (Oberkammerherr) von Wittdorf, Director of the Fräulein-Erziehungsinstitut
  • the panel was re-acquired for the gallery at the auction of von Wittdorf's estate

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

Exhibitions

Bremen 2009, no. 8

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Eisenach 2015 120 49 Fig. p. 120
EditorGünter Schuchardt
TitleCranach, Luther und die Bildnisse. Katalog zur Sonderausstellung auf der Wartburg, 2. April bis 19. Juli 2015
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Lange 2015 29, 30 Fig. 1
AuthorJustus Lange
TitleLucas Cranach und die Landgrafschaft Hessen
Publicationin Julia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha and Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, eds., Bild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel]
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2015
Pages29-42
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Bremen 2009 8
EditorRainer Stamm
TitleLucas Cranach der Schnellste
Place of PublicationBremen
Year of Publication2009
Show Literature
Cat. Kassel 1997 99-102
AuthorAnja Schneckenburger-Broschek
EditorStaatliche Museen Kassel
TitleAltdeutsche Malerei. Die Tafelbilder und Altäre des 14. bis 16. Jahrhunderts in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister und im Hessischen Landesmuseum Kassel. Bestandskatalog Staatliche Museen Kassel
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1997
Show Literature
Cat. Kassel 1996 97
EditorBernhard Schnackenburg
TitleGesamtkatalog Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. Staatliche Museen Kassel
Place of PublicationMainz
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Klein 1994 A 196 Tab. 3
AuthorPeter Klein
TitleLucas Cranach und seine Werkstatt. Holzarten und dendrochronologische Analyse
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds.,Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages194-200
Show Literature
Klein 1994 B 215
AuthorPeter Klein
TitleHolzartenbestimmung und dendrochronologische Analyse an Gemäldetafeln von Lucas Cranach d.Ä. und seiner Werkstatt
PublicationAllmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication1994
Pages210-219
Show Literature
Cat. Kassel 1830 78
AuthorErnst Friedrich Ferdinand Robert
TitleVerzeichniß der Kurfürstlichen Gemählde-Sammlung
Place of PublicationKassel
Year of Publication1830
Show Literature
Cat. Kassel 1819 57
AuthorErnst Friedrich Ferdinand Robert
TitleVersuch eines Verzeichnisses der Kurfürstlich Hessischen Gemälde-Sammlung
Place of PublicationKassel
Year of Publication1819
Link https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN879181362?tify=%7B%22pages%22%3A%5B5%5D%2C%22view%22%3A%22info%22%7D
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

[see also MHK online database, accessed 07.12.2020]

  • Portrait of Martin Luther, about 1565

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
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Documents

Technical studies

1997Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

- oak wood (examination report by Dr. Peter Klein from 09.02.1990)

- dendrochronological examination: see report Dr. Peter Klein from 09.02.1990

- a single plank, vertical grain

- original size

Verso:

- bevelled at the edges to a width of 1.5 cm

- light grey coating

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 95]

Ground and Imprimatura

- double ground layer; the first layer is white, the second is grey and coarse-grained

[Cat. Kassel 1997, 99]

24.03.1994Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

  • analysed by Peter Klein

09.02.1990 - Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: Oak

Felling date: between 1559 - 1569

[Klein Report, 09.02.1990]

  • examined by Peter Klein

Condition Reports

Date1988

  • examination for the catalogue

[Curatorial files, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Kassel]

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_MHK_GK1024/ (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_MHK_GK1024/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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