The Heinrich Gerdes epitaph: Ecce Homo

The Heinrich Gerdes epitaph: Ecce Homo

Title

The Heinrich Gerdes epitaph: Ecce Homo

[cda 2017]

Painting on oak

Medium

Painting on oak

[Museen Nord, accessed 22.11.2016]

Christ as the Man of Sorrows is depicted behind a balustrade on the left side of the painting. His hands are bound and he is wearing a cloak and a crown of thorns. At the right edge the donor is shown in prayer. There is a landscape with mountains and

Christ as the Man of Sorrows is depicted behind a balustrade on the left side of the painting. His hands are bound and he is wearing a cloak and a crown of thorns. At the right edge the donor is shown in prayer. There is a landscape with mountains and a castle in the background.

Attribution
Hans Kemmer

Attribution

Hans Kemmer

[Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021, no. 29] [St. Annen-Museum, revised 2017] [Emmendörffer 1997, 129] [Lütgendorff 1911, 2]

Production date
1544

Production date

1544

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 107 x 72 cm

Dimensions

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the lower edge: 'HK' and '1544'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the lower edge: 'HK' and '1544'

Inscriptions and Labels
  • on the balustrade: 'ECCE HOMO'
    'ANNO DNI 1544 AETATIS SVE 40 H.G.'
    'VORWAHR HE DROCH VNSE KRANCREIT: VND LOT …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • on the balustrade:

  • 'ECCE HOMO'

  • 'ANNO DNI 1544 AETATIS SVE 40 H.G.'

  • 'VORWAHR HE DROCH VNSE KRANCREIT: VND LOT UP SICIK VSE SMERTE // WI OVERST HELDE EN VOR DE : DE VO GADE GEPLAGET VN GEKRENCKET WERE // AVERST HE IS VME VNSE MISDAT WILLE VORWNDET: VND VME VNSER // SVNDE WILLE THOSLAGE : DE STRAF LICHT VP EM: DAT WI FREDE HEBBE // VN DORCH SINE WND SI VI GEHELET: VN DE HERE WARP VSE ALLER SVDE VP EN //'

    • inscription from 1610: 'THOMAS LVNITZEN ITZIGE HAVSFRAWE : CHRISTINA : BALHORNS : HAT // MIT IREM MANNE : IRES S : VATERS HINRICI : GERDES : CONTERFEY MIT DEM // ARME VND LIECHTE ZV EWIGER : GEDESCHTNIS GEGEBEN : ANO DNI : 1669'

  • [The quotation is from Isaiah 53. It was post-restoration erroneously dated 1669, according to Melle (Lubeka Religiosa, p. 392) it should read 1610.

  • [http://www.museen-sh.de/Objekt/DE-MUS-088015/lido/1916-104] (accessed 22.Nov.2016)

  • Coat of arms: a black and white checked chevron on a blue ground charged with three red roses with yellow seed heads.

Owner
Kulturstiftung Hansestadt Lübeck, die Lübecker Museen
Repository
St. Annen-Museum, Lübeck
Location
Lübeck
CDA ID
DE_SAML_1916-04
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SAML_1916-04/

Provenance

  • according to [Melle 1787] it hung on the forth southern pillar in the nave of the St Katharinen church
  • at the beginning of the 20th century it was moved to the cemetery chapel of the Vorwerker Friedhof
  • since 1916 in the St. Annen-Museum
    [Emmendörffer 1997, 131, 203, Fn. 702]

Exhibitions

Lübeck 2021, no. 2021

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Lübeck 2021 212, 213 029 Fig. p. 213
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
Mayer 2021 108-109 Fig. 1, 6
AuthorMiriam Mayer
TitleInschriften und Signaturen. Überlegungen zur Verwendung von Schrift in ausgewählten Werken von Hans Kemmer.
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
Pages103-113
Show Literature
Sankowsky, Schulte 2021
AuthorLutz Sankowsky, Karin Schulte
TitleAns Licht gebracht... Zur Restaurierung der Tafelgemälde 'Epitaph Wittinghoff' und 'Ecce Homo' von Hans Kemmer.
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
Pages159-168
Show Literature
Ketelsen-Volkhardt 1989 14ff., 313 Fig. 3
AuthorAnne-Dore Ketelsen-Volkhardt
TitleSchleswig-holsteinische Epitaphien des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts
Place of PublicationNeumünster
Year of Publication1989
Show Literature
Hauschild 1988 362
AuthorWolf-Dieter Hauschild
TitleFrühe Neuzeit und Reformation. Das Ende der Großmachtstellung und die Neuorientierung der Stadtgemeinschaft
Publicationin Antjekathrin Graßmann, ed., Lübeckische Geschichte
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1988
Pages341-432
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Nuremberg 1983 355 472
EditorGerhard Bott
TitleMartin Luther und die Reformation in Deutschland. Ausstellung zum 500. Geburtstag Martin Luthers
Place of PublicationFrankfurt a. M.
Year of Publication1983
Show Literature
Kauder 1982 93-96 Fig. 2
AuthorRita Kauder
TitleDie drei protestantisch geprägten religiösen Bilder Hans Kemmers im Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Hansestadt Lübeck
JournalZeitschrift des Vereins für Lübecker Geschichte und Altertumskunde
Issue62
Year of Publication1982
Pages83-100
Show Literature
Wittstock 1982
AuthorJürgen Wittstock
TitleKemmer, Hans (Johann)
Publicationin Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landesbibliothek, Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte und des Vereins für Lübeckische Geschichte und Altertumskunde, eds., Biographisches Lexikon für Schleswig-Holstein und Lübeck
Volume6
Place of PublicationNeumünster
Year of Publication1982
Pages146-147
Show Literature
Cat. Lübeck 1981 244 221 Fig.
AuthorJürgen Wittstock
TitleKatalog St. Annen-Museum. Kirchliche Kunst des Mittelalters und der Reformationzeit
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1981
Show Literature
Hauschild 1981 A 208, 242 Fig. 49
AuthorWolf-Dieter Hauschild
TitleKirchengeschichte Lübecks. Christentum und Bürgertum in neun Jahrhunderten
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1981
Show Literature
Cat. Lübeck 1970 52, 227 119 Fig.
AuthorMax Hasse
TitleLübeck Sankt Annen-Museum. Die sakralen Werke
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1970
Show Literature
Norberg 1962 152
AuthorRune Norberg
TitleHans Kemmers altartavla i Bärbo Kyrka
JournalSödermanlandsbygden
Issue31
Year of Publication1962
Pages143-152
Show Literature
Lindtke 1961 24-27 Fig. 2
AuthorGustav Lindkte
TitleLübecker Reformationskunst. Zu den Bildern von Hans Kemmer im St. Annen-Museum
JournalDer Wagen. Ein Lübeckisches Jahrbuch
Year of Publication1961
Pages21-30
Show Literature
Bruns 1949 114
AuthorFriedrich Bruns
TitleDer Lübecker Maler Johann Kemmer
JournalZeitschrift des Vereins für Lübecker Geschichte und Altertumskunde
Issue31 (1949)
Year of Publication1949
Pages113-116
Show Literature
Busch 1940 110 317 Fig. 550
AuthorHarald Busch
TitleMeister des Nordens. Die altniederdeutsche Malerei 1450 - 1550
Place of PublicationHamburg
Year of Publication1940
Show Literature
Riewerts 1936 275
AuthorTheodor Riewerts
TitleDer Maler Johann Willinges in Lübeck
JournalZeitschrift des deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue3
Year of Publication1936
Pages275-303
Show Literature
Rudolph 1936 75ff. Fig. 4
AuthorHerbert Rudolph
TitleVom geistesgeschichtlichen Gehalt des Epitaphs in Lübeck
JournalDer Wagen. Ein Lübeckisches Jahrbuch
Year of Publication1936
Pages71-81
Show Literature
Baltzer, Bruns et al. 1928 117-118
AuthorFriedrich Bruns, Johannes Baltzer, Hugo Rahtgens
TitleDie Klöster. Die kleineren Gotteshäuser der Stadt. Die Kirchen und Kapellen in den Außengebieten. Denk- und Wegekreuze und der Leidensweg Christi
SeriesDie Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1928
Show Literature
Scheewe 1926
AuthorLudwig Scheewe
TitleKemmer, Johann
Publicationin U. Thieme, F. Becker und H. Vollmer, eds., Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künste von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart [Band 20]
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1927
Pages135-136
Show Literature
Schaefer 1917 5
AuthorKarl Schaefer
TitleDer Lübecker Maler Hans Kemmer. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Cranach-Schule
JournalMonatshefte für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue10
Year of Publication1917
Pages1-11
Show Literature
Lütgendorff 1911 2
AuthorWillibald Leo von Lütgendorff
TitleEin neuentdecktes Bild von Hans Kemmer
JournalVaterstädtishe Blätter
Year of Publication1911
Pages1-3
Show Literature
Bruns 1905 127
AuthorFriedrich Bruns
TitleLebensnachrichten über die beiden Lübecker Buchdrukker Johann Balhorn
JournalMitteilungen des Vereins für Lübeckische Geschichte und Altertumskunde
Issue12 (1905)
Year of Publication1905
Pages126-131
Show Literature
Melle 1787 282f.
AuthorJacob von Melle
TitleGründliche Nachricht von der Kaiserl. freyen und des H. R. Reichs Stadt Lübeck, welche den Einheimischen und Fremden aus unverwerfl. Dokumenten mit aufrichtiger Feder ertheilet wird
Place of PublicationLübeck
Year of Publication1787
Show Literature
Melle 1739 529
AuthorJacob von Melle
Title Ausführliche Beschreibung der kayserlichen freyen und des Heiligen Römischen Reichs Stadt Lübeck, aus bewährten Scribenten, unverwerfflichen Urkunden und vieljähriger Erfahrung zusammengebracht, [Bd. 1]
Year of Publication1739
ReferencesStadtbibliothek Lübeck MS Lub. 2° 83
Show Literature
Schnobel n. d. 148 IX
AuthorJohann Hermann Schnobel
TitleCompleta Collectio Omnium Inscriptionum Quae adhuc Lubecae in Epitaphiis Sacellis ac Lapidibus sepulcralibus Templorum leguntur ex "autopsia" descripsit, ordine melliano, adiectis indicibus disposuit et ad hoc tempus usque continuavit
ReferencesStadtbibliothek Lübeck MS Lub. 8° 521
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

According to [Schaefer 1917, 5] the coat of arms could be that of Jakob Dus, but [Emmendörffer 1997, 203 Fn. 701] contests this claiming that the tinture is not the same and that the donor is most probably Hinrich Gerdes.

[Emmemdörffer 1997, 129-131]

  • The Heinrich Gerdes epitaph: Ecce Homo, 1544

Images

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Technical studies

1997Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph

The x-radiograph shows that the donor originally held a prayerbook in his hands. It also shows the beret on the parapet that replaced the praybook visible beneath.

[Emmendörffer 1997, 129]

Support

- the panel consists of three planks

[unpublished examination report, I. Sandner]

Condition Reports

Date1997

Paint layers:

  • numerous small losses in the paint layer, particularly in the nose, cheeks and forehead; further losses can be observed in the parapet - originally a prayerbook rather than a beret was lying on its flat surface. The bottom edge of the painting also exhibits extensive paint loss. The letters in the last line of the inscription as well as the artist's monogram were partially reinforced at some stage and the date added at the beginning of the 17th century was erroneously corrected to '1669'.

[Emmendörffer 1997, 129]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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Entry with no author
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