Portrait of Martin Luther [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, Iv]

Portrait of Martin Luther [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, Iv]

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, Iv]

[cda 2015]

Painting on parchment

Medium

Painting on parchment

[cda 2015]

The sheet is from an edition of the Lutheran bible printed in four volumes on parchment in 1561 for Nikolaus von Ebeleben [Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12-15] and is located opposite a depiction of the Luther rose at the beginning of the first volume.

It depicts Luther

The sheet is from an edition of the Lutheran bible printed in four volumes on parchment in 1561 for Nikolaus von Ebeleben [Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12-15] and is located opposite a depiction of the Luther rose at the beginning of the first volume.

It depicts Luther as a half-length figure, facing right behind a balustrade and against a bright blue background. Luther wears the typical black gown over a black robe with a white collar. He holds an open book in his hands. A text field is located in the lower third. It has a double line at the top to simulate a balustrade.

The composition is framed by a boarder gilded with gold leaf.

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Fliege 1998, 262]

Production date
1562

Production date

1562

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support (parchment sheet): 37.5 x 25 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support (parchment sheet): 37.5 x 25 cm

  • [Willing-Stritzke in Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2015, 390]

  • Dimensions of painted surface: 30.5 x 16.7 cm

  • [Troschke 1939, 28]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia and date at the left next to the sitter's shoulder: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing right and dated '1562'; in gold

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia and date at the left next to the sitter's shoulder: winged serpent with dropped wings, facing right and dated '1562'; in gold

  • [cda 2015]

Inscriptions and Labels

in the text field beneath the portrait:
'Inter Theologos est gloria prima Lutherus,
Nam Christi merito nemo magis tribuit.

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • in the text field beneath the portrait:

  • 'Inter Theologos est gloria prima Lutherus,

  • Nam Christi merito nemo magis tribuit.

  • Huic par est nullus: placeat, non deneger eius,

  • Discipulus: cui laus contigit ista, sat est.'

  • [Görres, cda 2015]

Owner
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Repository
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Abt. Historische Drucke
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_SBB_fol-12-Iv
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SBB_fol-12-Iv/

Connected Works

Martin Luther's coat of arms [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, IIr]
  • Martin Luther's coat of arms [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, IIr], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-12-IIr
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Portrait of Nikolaus of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 13, Iv]
  • Portrait of Nikolaus of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 13, Iv], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-13-Iv
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Coat of arms of the Ebeleben family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 13, IIr]
  • Coat of arms of the Ebeleben family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 13, IIr], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-13-IIr
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Portrait of Margarethe of Carlowitz [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 14, IIr]
  • Portrait of Margarethe of Carlowitz [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 14, IIr], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-14-IIr
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Coat of arms of Carlowitz family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 14, Iv]
  • Coat of arms of Carlowitz family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 14, Iv], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-14-Iv
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Portrait of the oldest daughter of Nikolaus of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, IIr]
  • Portrait of the oldest daughter of Nikolaus of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, IIr], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-15-IIr
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Coat of arms of Ebeleben family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, Iv]
  • Coat of arms of Ebeleben family [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, Iv], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-15-Iv
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Portrait of Georg (?) and Katharina (?) of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, IIIv]
  • Portrait of Georg (?) and Katharina (?) of Ebeleben [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 15, IIIv], 1562
  • DE_SBB_fol-15-IIIv
  • Painting
  • Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Provenance

  • the edition of the bible containing this sheet was commissioned by Nikolaus von Ebeleben and belonged to him
  • 1581: after the death of Ebeleben in 1579 the greater part of his library went to Dr. Johann Stromer from Auerbach in Leipzig; a small part remained the property of the family
  • sold to the electoral library (Kurfürstliche Bibliothek), which later became the state library in Berlin (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin)
    [Fliege 1998, 282-285]

Exhibitions

  • Berlin 1996 (first volume only)
  • Wittenberg 2015, No. 3/48

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2015 385, 390 3/48
EditorRoland Enke, Jutta Strehle, Katja Schneider
TitleLucas Cranach der Jüngere - Entdeckung eines Meisters, Stiftung Luthergedenkstätten in Sachsen-Anhalt, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Augusteum, 26 June - 1 November 2015
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Willing-Stritzke 2015 142-144
AuthorNadine Willing-Stritzke
TitleDie Prachtbibeln Cranachs des Jüngeren
Publicationin Roland Enke, Katja Schneider, Jutta Strehle, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere - Entdeckung eines Meisters, Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2015
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Pages139-147
Show Literature
Kunde 2006 A
AuthorHolger Kunde
TitleDer Nachlaß eines sächsischen Bibliophilen aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. Neue Quellen zum Leben des Nikolaus von Ebeleben
Publicationin Enno Bünz, ed., Bücher, Drucker, Bibliotheken in Mitteldeutschland. Neue Forschungen zur Kommunikations- und Mediengeschichte um 1500
SeriesSchriften zur sächsischen Geschichte und Volkskunde
Volume15
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication2006
Pages305-316
Show Literature
Fliege 1998
AuthorJutta Fliege
TitleDie Bibel des Nikolaus von Ebeleben im Besitz der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
JournalMitteilungen der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
IssueN.F. 7, no. 2
Year of Publication1998
Pages261-295
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1996
AuthorJutta Fliege, Karla Faust, Andreas Wittenberg
TitleMartin Luther 1483-1546. Ausstellung der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, 29 Feb. - 13 Apr. 1996
Place of PublicationWiesbaden
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Troschke 1939 B 25-28 12
AuthorAsmus von Troschke
TitleMiniaturbildnisse von Cranach d. J. in Lutherbibeln
JournalZeitschrift des deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue6
Year of Publication1939
Pages15-28
Show Literature
  • Portrait of Martin Luther [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, Iv], 1562

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<author's name>, 'Portrait of Martin Luther [from the Nikolaus of Ebeleben bible, Libri in membr. impr. fol. 12, Iv]', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SBB_fol-12-Iv/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
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