The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion

Title

The Crucifixion

[CDA 2011]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

The panel depicts the crucifixion. Christ and his wafting loincloth dominate the upper third of the painting. The crosses of both thieves project diagonally into the pictorial space. Beneath the cross the witnesses stand crowded together. In the bottom corner is a group gathered around the Virgin and St John,

The panel depicts the crucifixion. Christ and his wafting loincloth dominate the upper third of the painting. The crosses of both thieves project diagonally into the pictorial space. Beneath the cross the witnesses stand crowded together. In the bottom corner is a group gathered around the Virgin and St John, in the bottom right corner a group of ruffians fight over Christ¿s robe. Men on horseback make up the central figurative group and their lances and spears are outlined against the dramatic sky.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]
[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 127]
[Woermann, Cat. Dresden 1887, 616][1]
[Schäfer 1860, 906, 907][2]
[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 346, 349, Fn. 4]
[2][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 346, 349, Fn. 3]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Matthäi, Cat. Dresden 1835, Bd. 1, No. 161]bis 1887[1]
[1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 346, 349, Fn. 2]

Production date
1546

Production date

1546

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 120.5 x 72 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 120.5 x 72 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia in the centre (on Christ's cross): winged serpent with dropped wings and dated '1546'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia in the centre (on Christ's cross): winged serpent with dropped wings and dated '1546'

Inscriptions and Labels
Reverse of the panel: ; Sammlungsnachweis Pillnitz: 'Inv. 24'; ; in blue chalk: '- 100'

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel:
  • [Gal.-Nr.]; Sammlungsnachweis Pillnitz: 'Inv. 24'; [Sammlungsnachweis Dresden, repeated]; in blue chalk: '- 100'
  • [Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]
Owner
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Repository
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Location
Dresden
CDA ID
DE_SKD_GG1942
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1942/

Provenance

  • the panel was first recorded in the inventory from 1722-1728
    [Inventar 1722-1728, A 1289][1]
    [1][Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 346, 349, Fn. 1]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 127
Dresden 1937, 17
Chemnitz 2005, No. 24

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 314, 344-349 24 Pl. p. 345
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 C 532, 542-547, 549, 550, 552-557, 559, 560 24
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
Schölzel 2005 192 24
AuthorChristoph Schölzel
TitleZeichnungen unter der Farbschicht. Zu den Unterzeichnungen von Cranachs Gemälden in der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister und in der Rüstkammer Dresden
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, eds., Cranach. Gemälde aus Dresden, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages182-197
Show Literature
Cat. Dresden 1992 161, 162
AuthorAngelo Walther
TitleGemäldegalerie Dresden. Alte Meister. Katalog der ausgestellten Werke
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1992
Show Literature
Rudloff-Hille 1953 B 41
AuthorGertrude Rudloff-Hille
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. Eine Einführung in sein Leben und sein Werk.
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1953
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 46 127 Pl. 95
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1937 17
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
Zimmermann E. H. 1924/1925 274
AuthorErnst Heinrich Zimmermann
TitleEin herzförmiges Altarwerk von Lukas Cranach d. J.
JournalAnzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums
Year of Publication1924
Pages171-176
Show Literature
Cat. Dresden 1887 616
AuthorKarl Woermann
TitleKatalog der Königlichen Gemäldegalerie zu Dresden. Grosse Ausgabe
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1887
Link https://digital.slub-dresden.de/werkansicht/dlf/89861/5
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1871 148
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Dritter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1871
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1871bd3
Show Literature
Schäfer 1860 906, 907
AuthorWilhelm Schäfer
TitleDie Königliche Gemälde-Gallerie im Neuen Museum zu Dresden. Beschreibung und Erläuterung sämmtlicher Gemälde nach der Ordnung der Räume begleitet von kunsgeschichtlichen und kritischen Erinnerungen
Volume1 - 3
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1860
Show Literature
Waagen 1858 39
AuthorGustav Friedrich Waagen
TitleEinige Bemerkungen über die neue Aufstellung, Beleuchtung und Catalogisierung der Königlichen Gemäldegallerie zu Dresden
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1858
Show Literature
  • The Crucifixion, 1546

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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

18.09.2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

Results

Drawing material:

Technique:

- the underdrawing cannot be clearly distinguished from the painted version; minimal alterations are visible in the contours of the painted version, for example on the foot of the persecutor on the right and the position of the fingers of the horseman in red in the centre [1]

- probably further underdrawing on the feet of the righthand figure on the cross?

- Pentimento in the painted version: the piece of paper with a text at the right edge of the image behiind the knight on a white horse was originally slightly smaller

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

[Böhme, Schölzel, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, 2012]

  • photographed by Christoph Schölzel
  • photographed by Alexandra Böhme

2005Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

The underdrawing cannot be clearly distinguished from the painted version; minimal alterations are visible in the contours of the painted version, for example on the foot of the persecutor on the right and the position of the fingers of the horseman in red in the centre.

Framing

New frame: 18th century Dresden gallery frame, which has been reworked

[Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

2003Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • reverse

Support

- 1.8 cm thick (thinned)

- four vertically aligned boards

- two knots in the right hand board

- marks from a block plane

- rebate running around all four sides

[Schlegel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

Condition Reports

Date2005

Support:

  • two dovetail-shaped notches

  • joins reinforced with three bars (pine wood)

  • splits at the top edge reinforced with oak wood blocks

  • reddish glaze

  • marks from nails employed to fix the panel in a frame

  • the painted side is convexly warped (1cm)

  • splits

  • woodworm damage (open channels)

Painted surface:

  • retouches particularly along the joins, in Christ's robe in the foreground, in the lance next to the thief on the left, in the fur collar of the man with the turban on the left, on the harness of the horse on the right and in the face of the woman behind the Virgin

  • overpaint in the dark clouds of the background

  • old glossy and slightly yellowed varnish

[Schlegel, Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

Conservation History

Date2005

  • in preparation for an exhibition (frame)

see pdf

Date1984

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

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

see also pdf

Date1973 - 1980

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

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

see also pdf

Date1963

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

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

see also pdf

Date1886

[Sächs. HStADD, 13458 SKD, GG Nr. 8, Bd. 5, Bl. 94, 97][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

Date1869

[Sächs. HStADD, 13458 SKD, GG Nr. 8, Bd. 3, Bl. 178][1]

[1][Schölzel, Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 344]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Crucifixion', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1942/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Crucifixion', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKD_GG1942/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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