The Holy Trinity

- not original; 1994 by Thomas Jäger, Dresden, coatings MdbK Leipzig

- dimensions: 156 x 115,3 x 5.5 cm

- lime wood

- rebate frame with a blind frame attached with screws (together they create a grooved frame). Mortise and tenon joins, the flat surface and the flute are gilded and patinated. the outer edge is slightly raised. Outer and inner bevel black, bottom member exhibits a sill, profile reconstructed with reference to the original frame of the 'Crucifixion' in Dessau, Johanniskirche

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

- lime wood (Tilia sp.);

- no knots, tangential cut

- six vertically aligned planks, butt-joined

- plank widths: I: 24.8 (b.)/ 24.4 (t.), II: 13.8 cm (b.)/ 13.4 cm (t.), III: 16.1 cm (b.)/ 16.0 cm (t.), IV: 17.2 cm (t.)/ 16.9 cm (b.), V: 22.4 cm (t.)/ 21.9 cm (b.), VI: 11.7 cm (t.)/ 11.5 cm (b.)

- the joins were not reinforced nor were damages in the wood treated

- a rebate runs along all four sides, there are no marks caused by fittings, the rebate is 16 mm in width, the depth is 10mm, at the edge the panel is 14 mm thick

- the format was not altered

- white, probably chalk/glue (not tested)

- the ground is relatively thick (up to 1.5 mm) and consists of a number of layers due to the punch marks in the gilding

- the barbe is in part retained along the bottom edge

- there are remains of an incised line along the bottom edge

- no marks from smoothing tools

- no imprimatura

- drawn with a brush, relatively precise contours, loose indication of details in the figures, in places hatching-strokes define volume (Christ)

- visible to the naked eye under the flesh paint

- no apparent incised lines or construction lines

- only minor alterations in the painted version

- the contours suggest that the design was transferred, but no confirming evidence for this theory was found

Flesh paint:

- initial greyish-brown wash applied to the ground. The highlights were created by removing some of the initial layer to expose the white ground. The brownish-grey underpaint of the areas of shadow was applied over this and blended with the highlights. After the drying process an admixture of vermilion/ochre/white was applied wet-in-wet in part over the greyish-brown paint to create a flesh tone with a mother-of-pearl-like quality. This tone creates the half-shadows. The dark brown/grey underpaint is retained for the shadows. Highlights employing vermilion/lead white are blended with the flesh tone and additional accents are set in light grey. Finally delicate contours in brown tones are applied as well as delicate glazes in the darker zones. The hair is laid in with an initial unmodulated semi-opaque brown layer, darker sections are glazed wet-in-wet and once dry lines are drawn with a brush.

The ground was initially painted with a semi-opaque layer and details were then added with a brush

God the Father's robe:

- an initial layer of blended ochre tones, the motifs, textures and jewelery were added with an impasto application employing a fine pointed brush

flesh paint: brushstrokes, semi-opaque, glazes

clouds: wet-in-wet opaque dark paint modulated employing glazes

robes. opaque to semi-opaque

green: unmodulated semi-opaque underpaint

- mid-range pointed brush

- the background and the central depiction of the Holy Trinity is gilded (water gilding on a red bole, lozenge-shaped punch marks, outlines incised, dimensions of gold-leaf: 9.5 x 9.5 cm. Punch marks larger around the outer edge.

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Matarials:

- fluid, dark medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- free hand underdrawing in two stages, starting with a lighter medium, with strokes of varying widths and mostly short, often interrupted lines; occasional hatching strokes

Function:

- rough to binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the main features within forms; some representation of volume (hatching stokes)

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

'Such an unpigmented oil-based isolation layer could be clearly detected on the Holy Trinity (c.1515) and the portrait of Christian II of Denmark (1523)'

[Heydenreich 2007 A, 98]

CDA ID/Inventory Number: DE_MdbKL_248

Cross-section number: EP 175

Paint description: blue

Sample location: unknown (taken when the paint layers were transferred to a new support)

Sample number: 231

Examination method: microscopy

Observations:

4. transparent layer > varnish

3. brown layer with brown (transparent) and black pigments

2. blue layer with blue, white and single red earth pigments (presumably azurite and lead white) > blue modelling

1. grey layer with white and black pigments (probably lead white and carbon black) > grey undermodelling

0. white layer > ground

Commentary: blue paint layer over a grey undermodelling, over the blue there is an indeterminate brown layer and a varnish

CDA ID/Inventory Number: DE_MdbKL_248

Cross-section number: EP 174

Paint description: green

Sample location: unknown (taken when the paint layers were transferred to a new support)

Sample number: 230

Examination methods: microscopy, SEM-EDX

Observations:

4. brown glassy layer > glaze or varnish

3. green semi-transparent layer with green, black and whitish yellow pigments (EDX: Cu, Pb, Sn copper green with lead-tin yellow and some carbon black)

2. reddish beige layer, applied in two layers (the lower lighter) with white, vermilion and black pigments as well as glassy inclusions, perhaps flesh paint or floor paint? (EDX: Pb, Fe, Cu, Si lead white, carbon black, some yellow ochre)

1. white layer, exhibiting more bubbles at the bottom, towards the top at the boundary to the paint there is a thin isolating layer with a strong fluorescence, coccoliths are present > ground

0. wood

CDA ID/Inventory Number: DE_MdbKL_248

Cross-section numberr: EP 173

Paint description: reddish brown flakes

Sample location: unknown (taken when the paint layers were transferred to a new support)

Sample number: 229

Examination methods: microscopy, SEM-EDX

Observations:

2. Red layer with vermilion red, white, some black and a few yellow pigments and glassy colourless inclusions (not particularly noticeable in UV) (EDX: Pb, Sn, Hg, Si, traces of Fe vermilion, lead-tin yellow, lead white, some ochre?)

1. White layer > complete ground layer, multilayered, at least three layers, the lower two layers are thinner and exhibit more bubbles and have a stronger fluorescence, that is to say richer in binding medium, beneath the actual paint layers there is a discrete thin layer with a stronger fluorescence > isolating layer

0. wood

CDA ID/Inventory Number: DE_MdbKL_248

Cross-section number: EP 172

Paint description: flesh paint (probably) above gold

Sample location: unknown (taken when the paint layers were transferred to a new support)

Sample number: 228

Examination methods: microscopy, SEM-EDX

Observations:

3. Light pink layer with white and some vermilion and black pigments (EDX: Pb, Hg, traces of Fe, Si >> lead white, vermilion, carbon black and a small amount of iron oxide (ochre?))

2. Brown transparent layer, only one black particle (yellowish in UV-light) > probably an isolating layer applied to the ground after guilding (EDX: traces of Pb, otherwise just organic material)

1. Gold leaf, without a visible use of size or mordant (no bole!), perhaps not intentional, thickness c. 400 -500 nm

0. White layer > ground, multilayered, three or four layers

Comments: in this case a small piece of gold leaf attached to the ground may provide evidence for the application of an unpigmented isolating layer. The interlayer lies above the gold but beneath the application of the flesh paint. Here the surface of the ground has a less transparent yellowish appearance in comparison with other cross-sections.

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

• stable since the conservation treatment in 1993/94

• slight convex warp

• red glaze slightly faded

• dammar varnish 1994

Support:

Canvas on wood (condition from 1815 until 1993) then it was transferred to a new lime wood panel

[Heiland, Exhib. Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 50]

[Beck 1995, 41-46]

Treatment Report 1993/94 (Beck, Mieth)

Video-Documentation of the conservation treatment - SVHS (Stefan Göök, Leipzig 1994), copied on a DVD

1972 consolidation and condition report by Ingrid Käppler, Leipzig, (Report, 27.3. 1972)

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

Restaurierungsakte IV 1924-1932

Sheets 6.-29. treatment report by Walter Kühn, Leipzig [August 1925].

(336) "Die Dreieinigkeit" von Cranach d. Ä. [Inv.-Nr. 248] gereinigt, mit Terpentin abgerieben, regeneriert

[The Holy Trinity by Cranach the Elder, cleaned, rubbed with oil of terpentine, regenerated]

34. Invoice for conservation work in the Städtisches Museum from Walter Kühn, Leipzig 6.9.1926.

35. "Die Dreieinigkeit" von Cranach d. Ä. [Inv.-Nr. 248] 115,-

[13. the Holy Trinity by Cranach the Elder [Inv. -No. 248] 115,-]

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

MdbK Restaurierungsakte III 1890-1923

Sheet 49. Note regarding the treatment carried out by Philipp Ritter in the summer of 1896, Leipzig 20.7.1896.

Philipp Ritter began treatment on the 20.7.1896 with: No. 248. German Master 'The Holy Trinity' [Cranach the Elder, Inv. No. 248], the treatment was completed. The painting was sent to the gilder Paul Ullrich (Berlin G. Königl. Museen am Lustgarten) to gild the losses in the gold (the painting was sent on 17. August 1896) (Returned on 15. Febuary 1897) Note regarding the treatment carried out by Philipp Ritter in 1895, no date.

1895 - Mr Ritter: [No.] 248 German Master [Cranach the Elder., Inv.-No. 248] begun

Sheet 58. Letter from Paul Ullrich to the Director Theodor Schreiber, Berlin 13.2.1897.

The painting [Cranach the Elder, The Holy Trinity, Inv.-No. 248], on which he restored the gilded gold background was handed over to the train service as express freight on the 12.2. The cost of the restoration amounts to 36 Mark.

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

'Herr Lehmann, a young artist, managed with great skill and much success to transfer the old paint onto canvas and new wood, which considering the substantial size of the painting was very difficult.'

[Quandt 1815, No. 123, Sp. 978/979][1]

[1] [Heiland, Exhib. Cat. Leipzig, Heidelberg 1997, 50]

• 1815 tiefgreifende Restaurierung durch den Kunstmaler Friedrich Ludwig Lehmann (direkt nach der Wieder-auffindung, Quelle: "Verzeichnis der Kunstwerke im städtischen Museum zu Leipzig", Leipzig 1881, S. VI ff.) Maßnahmen: Abtragung der Holztafel bis auf eine inhomogene dünne Restholzschicht, Verkleben des Bildes auf eine Leinwand mit Knochenleim. Unmittelbar danach oder etwas später auf eine Holztafel aufgezogen

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]