The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso]

The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso]

Title

The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso]

[Böhlitz 2005, 19-22, 23]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[cda 2015]

Lime wood

[Flechsig 1900 B, 24]

Recto: The Mercy Seat is depicted on the horizontal format and is a sort of visualization of the Holy Trinity, which unites God the Father, Christ and the Holy Ghost represented by a dove in a compact pictorial formula. The Chemnitz Mercy Seat is a particularly haunting depiction whose suggestive

Recto: The Mercy Seat is depicted on the horizontal format and is a sort of visualization of the Holy Trinity, which unites God the Father, Christ and the Holy Ghost represented by a dove in a compact pictorial formula. The Chemnitz Mercy Seat is a particularly haunting depiction whose suggestive power recalls the medieval pieta and clearly draws on iconographic stock from the Cranach workshop.

Verso: The depiction of the three Marys among the saints is on the other hand much less conventional and not comparable with other Cranach works [...]. At the holy gathering angels evidently cousel the soul of the altar's donor. Neither the two female saints on the left nor the four apostles on the right can be clearly identified, although their characterised physiognomy suggest that specific saints are depicted here to represent the holy throng in the heavenly church.

[Böhlitz 2005, 19-23]

Comment: Böhlitz 2005, 19-23 in contrast with the arrangement proposed here, suggests that the Assumption of the Souls was depicted on the recto and the Mercy Seat on the verso.

[cda 2015]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Hans Kemmer (in Cranach the Elder's workshop)

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

['Werkstatt Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (Hans Kemmer)', Heydenreich 2021 B, 67] ['Werkstatt Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (Hans Kemmer)', Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 24]
[Böhlitz 2005, 19-22, 23]

Hans Kemmer (in Cranach the Elder's workshop)

['Werkstatt Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (Hans Kemmer)', Heydenreich 2021 B, 67]

Production dates
about 1515 - 1525
1515 - 1520

Production dates

about 1515 - 1525

[Böhlitz 2005, 19-22, 23]

1515 - 1520

[Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 24]

Dimensions
Dimensions of visible surface: 91.5 x 127.8 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of visible surface: 91.5 x 127.8 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 110.2 x 146.3 cm

  • [cda 2015]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Ev.-Luth. St.-Petri-Schlosskirchgemeinde Chemnitz
Repository
Schlosskirche Chemnitz
Location
Chemnitz
CDA ID
DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC002
FR (1978) Nr.
FRSup018C
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC002/

Exhibitions

Dresden 1899, no. 149
Lübeck 2021, no. 24

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021 204, 205 024 Figs. p. 205
EditorDagmar Täube
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Show Literature
Heydenreich 2021 B 59, 62-64, 69 Figs. 8, 11, 12
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleHans Kemmer: Spuren künstlerischer Gestaltungsprozesse. Teil II: Wittenberg
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages59-69
Show Literature
Cat. Coburg 2018 86 under no. 14
AuthorKlaus Weschenfelder
TitleCranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2018
Show Literature
Cat. Chemnitz 2014 20, 29 14, 15
EditorEv.-Luth. St.-Petri-Schlosskirchgemeinde Chemnitz
TitleEv.-Luth. Schloßkirche Chemnitz
Place of PublicationChemnitz
Year of Publication2014
Show Literature
Böhlitz 2005 19, 20, 21, 38 Pl. 2, 3
AuthorMichael Böhlitz
TitleAltargemälde von Lucas Cranach dem Älteren, Lucas Cranach dem Jüngeren und ihren Schülern im Chemnitzer Raum
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, ed., Cranach. Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages18-43
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 369 under No. 27 Fig. 169
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Dehio 1998 114
TitleHandbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler. Sachsen II, Regierungsbezirk Leipzig und Chemnitz
Place of PublicationBerlin, Munich
Year of Publication1998
Show Literature
Erichsen 1994 A 159, 162, 163 Fig. A108a
AuthorJohannes Erichsen
TitleAltäre Lucas Cranachs und seiner Werkstatt vor der Reformation
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhof, eds., Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmen aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26/94
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Regensburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages150-165
Show Literature
Sandner 1993 180
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleSpätgotische Tafelmalerei in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden, Basel
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 Sup18B
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Röber 1975 65-67 21, 22
AuthorWolf-Dieter Röber
TitleKunstwerke des Schlossbergmuseums und der Schlosskirche Karl-Marx-Stadt
Place of PublicationKarl-Marx-Stadt [Chemnitz]
Year of Publication1975
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 368b
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
Flechsig 1900 A 97-98
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

According to Böhlitz 2005, 38 a pendant to the depiction of 'The Assumption of Two souls into Heaven' exists that shows 'The Lost Souls in Hell'. However this panel is very damaged and has not yet been restored.

[Görres, cda 2015]

  • The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso], about 1515 - 1525

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • reverse
  • irr
  • x_radiograph
  • detail
  • detail

Technical studies

03. 2015Technical Examination

Support

- the panel consists of vertically aligned planks and exhibits an applicationof tow, which makes a dating after 1515 plausible

Framing

- the original frame has not been preserved

[Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • examined by Gunnar Heydenreich

03. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

The Holy Trinity [recto]

BESCHREIBUNG

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define essential details and facial features; isolated representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

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

The Reception of Two Desceased Souls [verso]

BESCHREIBUNG

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed freeehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines; occasional rough hatching-strokes

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define essential details and facial features; occasional representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Abweichungen:

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

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- an assistant to Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Holy Trinity (Mercy Seat) [recto]; The Assumption of Two Deceased Souls [verso]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC002/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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