Portrait medaillon of Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony

Portrait medaillon of Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony

Title

Portrait medaillon of Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

A half-length portrait of Friedrich the Wise shown in three-quarter profile facing right against a green background. The elector wears a black beret and a fur-trimmed coat and has a greyish-black beard.

[Görres, cda 2012]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Albrecht Dürer

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Albrecht Dürer

From the collection of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach, presumably the same painting as that in the collection of the Markgräfler Hofes zu Basel in 1688 with the inventory No.64: 'Eines andern Churfürsten aus Sachsen Conterfät von A. Dürer' (Another portrait of an elector from Saxony by A. Dürer)

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Production date
1525

Production date

1525

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 12.9 cm (diameter)

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 12.9 cm (diameter)

  • [Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia centre, left: winged serpent und date '1525', in yellow paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia centre, left: winged serpent und date '1525', in yellow paint

  • [Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Owner
Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Repository
Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Location
Karlsruhe
CDA ID
DE_SKK_0120
FR (1978) Nr.
FR179D
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKK_0120/

Provenance

  • from the collection of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach. It is probably the same painting, which was recorded in the inventory of the Margrave Hofes from Basel in 1688, No. 63:"Eines andern Churfürsten aus Sachsen Conterfät von A. Dürer" (another elector from Saxony Portrait by A. Dürer)
  • assured record in the Basel inventory from 1773, No. 51

[Cat. Karlsruhe 1966, 90]

Exhibitions

  • Basel 1974, Nro 183
  • Torgau 2004, 195-96
  • Coburg 2010, 149-50, No. 1.1.18

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Coburg 2010 149-150 No. 1.1.17 Fig. 1.1.17
EditorLWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Münster, Klaus Weschenfelder, Beate Böckum, Ruth Hansmann, Matthias Müller
TitleApelles am Fürstenhof, Facetten der Hofkunst um 1500 im Alten Reich
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Torgau 2004 195-196
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
Hinz 2004
AuthorBerthold Hinz
TitleDie Bildnisse der drei letzten Ernestinisch-Sächsischen Kurfürsten: Entdeckung und Gebrauch des öffentlichen Porträts
Publicationin Jens Flemming, ed., Lesarten der Geschichte: ländliche Ordnungen und Geschlechterverhältnisse. Festschrift für Heide Wunder zum 65. Geburtstag
Place of PublicationKassel
Year of Publication2004
Link http://kobra.bibliothek.uni-kassel.de/bitstream/urn:nbn:de:hebis:34-2010030832218/1/HinzKurfuersten2004.pdf
Pages199-220
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978 under no. 179D
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleThe Paintings of Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationNew York
Year of Publication1978
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 275, 278, 296 No. 182 Fig. 139
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Show Literature
Cat. Karlsruhe 1966 90, 91
AuthorJan Lauts
TitleStaatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe. Katalog Alter Meister bis 1800
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationKarlsruhe
Year of Publication1966
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 58 under no. 151D
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
Glaser 1923 230
AuthorCurt Glaser
TitleLukas Cranach
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1923
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/glaser1923
Show Literature
Flechsig 1900 A 256
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Show Literature
Parthey 1863-1864 694 271
AuthorGustav Parthey
TitleDeutscher Bildersaal. Verzeichnis der in Deutschland vorhandenen Oelbilder verstorbener Maler aller Schulen
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1864
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

It cannot be assumed that both round portraits were painted at the same time as a pair. The portrait of Johann is more cautious, tired and tonal in execution than that of Friedrich.

[Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974-1976, Bd. I, 296, No. 183]

Connected Works

Portrait medaillon of Johann the Steadfast, Elector of Saxony
  • Portrait medaillon of Johann the Steadfast, Elector of Saxony, 1525
  • DE_SKK_0119
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
  • Portrait medaillon of Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony, 1525

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr
  • detail

Technical studies

07. 2011Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

- an underdrawing is not readily visible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Versions

Friedrich the Wise (1486-1525), Elector of Saxony
  • Friedrich the Wise (1486-1525), Elector of Saxony, about 1532
  • NL_RMTE_0026
  • Painting
  • Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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Entry with no author
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