The Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden

Title

The Garden of Eden

[CDA 2011]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

The painting shows an expansive depiction of Paradise in a vertical rectangular format. The lower half of the panel is dominated by different types of animals. Represented at the centre of the upper half of the painting are Adam and Eve, and God the Father who pronounces the prohibition to

The painting shows an expansive depiction of Paradise in a vertical rectangular format. The lower half of the panel is dominated by different types of animals. Represented at the centre of the upper half of the painting are Adam and Eve, and God the Father who pronounces the prohibition to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Further in the background the creation of Adam and Eve, the Fall, the announcement of God's punishment and the expulsion from paradise are shown.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2011]

Production date
1530

Production date

1530

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 80 x 118 x 1.3 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 80 x 118 x 1.3 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia bottom right (stone): winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1530'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia bottom right (stone): winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1530'

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel:
[Gal.-Nr.]; in blue chalk: '-4 [?]'

Reverse of the frame: [Stamp with russian …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel:

  • [Gal.-Nr.]; in blue chalk: '-4 [?]'

  • Reverse of the frame: [Stamp with russian inscription]

  • [Schlegel 2003, 39][1]

  • [1][Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

Owner
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Repository
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Location
Dresden
CDA ID
DE_SKD_GG1908A
FR (1978) Nr.
FR202
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1908A/

Provenance

  • 1928 bought from Freiherr von Friesen, Schloss Schleinitz Riesa

  • Inventories 1874-1944, No. 754
    [Sächs, HSTADD 13458 SKD, GG Nr. 4 Bd. 16, fol. 362-367][1]

  • 1945-1958 USSR

[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 206]

[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 202]

Exhibitions

Dresden 1937, 13
Weimar 1972, 72
Berlin 1972, No. 33
Torgau 2004, Bd. I, No. 184
Chemnitz 2005, No. 1
Rome 2010, No. 3

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Rome 2010 136 - 139 No. 3 Pl. pp. 138, 139
EditorGalleria Borghese, Rome, Anna Coliva, Bernard Aikema
TitleCranach. L'altro rinascimento / a different renaissance, [Rome, Galleria Borghese 15 ottobre 2010 - 13 febbraio 2011]
Place of PublicationMilan
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Maaz 2010 30, 31
AuthorBernhard Maaz
TitleCranach in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister Dresden
Place of PublicationBerlin, Munich
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 200-207, 214 (under No. 3) 001 Pl. 201, Figs. 103-106
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
Kolb 2005 A 159, 166, 173 Fn. 237, 259
AuthorKarin Kolb
TitleCranach - Die Gemälde in Dresden und ihre Geschichte
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages112-173
Show Literature
Kolb 2005 C 529, 556, 558-560 1
AuthorKarin Kolb
TitleDokumentation zum Dresdener Cranach-Bestand
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages526-572
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Torgau 2004 No. 184
EditorHarald Marx, Eckhard Kluth, Cecilie Hollberg
TitleGlaube und Macht. Sachsen im Europa der Reformationszeit. 2. Sächsische Landesaussellung Schloss Hartenfels Torgau
Volume1-2
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication2004
Show Literature
Schlegel 2003 39-41
AuthorArmgard Schlegel
TitleTechnologische Untersuchungen an Holzbildträgern von Gemälden der Cranachwerkstatt in den Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationDresden
IssueSeminararbeit der Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
Cat. Dresden 1992 159
AuthorAngelo Walther
TitleGemäldegalerie Dresden. Alte Meister. Katalog der ausgestellten Werke
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1992
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 110 No. 202 Fig. 202
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Weimar 1972 B 72
EditorSchlossmuseum Weimar
TitleLucas Cranach 1472-1553. Ein großer Maler in bewegter Zeit
Place of PublicationWeimar
Year of Publication1972
Show Literature
Jacobi, Hoffmann 1972 No. 33
AuthorFritz Jacobi, Raimund Hoffmann
EditorDeutscher Kulturbund
TitleLucas Cranach 1472-1553. Cranach-Ehrung der DDR 1972
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1972
Show Literature
Ruhmer 1963 80
AuthorEberhard Ruhmer
TitleCranach
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1963
Show Literature
Aragon, Cocteau 1957 22, 141, 142
AuthorLouis Aragon, Jean Cocteau
TitleEntretiens sur le musée de Dresde
Place of PublicationParis
Year of Publication1957
Show Literature
Posse 1943 36, 37, 60 No. 74
AuthorHans Posse
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationVienna
IssueSecond edition
Year of Publication1943
Show Literature
Posse 1942 36, 37, 60 No. 74
AuthorHans Posse
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1942
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1937
Authorn. a.
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere und der Jüngere. Ausstellung von Werken aus dem Besitze der Staatlichen Gemäldegalerie und dem Staatlichen Kupferstichkabinet
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Posse 1930 500
AuthorHans Posse
TitleDresdner Cranach-Erwerbungen
JournalPantheon
Issue3
Year of Publication1930
Pages495-500
Show Literature
Lindau 1883 77
AuthorMartin Bernhard Lindau
TitleLucas Cranach. Ein Lebensbild aus dem Zeitalter der Reformation
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1883
Show Literature
  • The Garden of Eden, 1530

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood

  • analysed by Peter Klein

19.09.2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

Results

Drawing material:

- fluid (brush?)

Technique:

- The paint is very dark, therefore only isolated lines are visible: loose brush lines indicating quills are visible in the peacocks feathers; the line along the contour of the unicorns back, which has been altered slightly confirms the use of a brush for the underdrawing [1]

- Alterations: the position of the head of the bear on the left

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

[Böhme, Schölzel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2012]

  • photographed by Alexandra Böhme
  • photographed by Christoph Schölzel

2005Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

The paint is very dark, therefore only isolated lines are visible: loose brush lines indicating quills are visible in the peacocks feathers; the line along the contour of the unicorns back, which has been altered slightly confirms the use of a brush for the underdrawing

Framing

- new frame: black frame in the style of the German Renaissance, 21st century

[Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

2003Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • reverse

Support

- limewood

- 1.3 cm thick (thinned)

- five horizontal boards

- rebate along all four edges

- plane marks

[Schlegel 2003, 39-41][1]

[1][Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

16.04.1975 - 23.04.1975Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species:

- lime

  • examined by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
  • examined by Eckholdt

Condition Reports

Date2003

Support:

  • cradle consisting of six vertical battens and seven cross-battens

  • reddish glaze covering the reverse and the cradle

  • minimum amount of woodworm damage (open channels)

Painted surface:

  • retouching along the joins

  • the paint is abraded and there are losses in the areas where prominent craquelée is visible

  • abrasion particularly in the figures of Adam and Eve and in the sky

  • glossy, old varnish

[Schlegel 2003, 39][1]

[1][Schlegel, Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

Conservation History

Date2004

  • in preparation for a Cranach exhibition (frame)

see pdf

Date1973

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, Meldung und Restaurierungsprotokoll][1]

[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

see also pdf

Date1955

[GGAM, Abt. Restaurierung, sowjetischer Gemäldepass][1]

[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 200]

see also pdf

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Garden of Eden', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1908A/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Garden of Eden', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1908A/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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