St Nicholas

St Nicholas

Title

St Nicholas

[cda 2017]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Koepplin 2009, 8]

This close-up representation of the saint shows him facing left against a blue background. He is wearing bishop's vestments and holds a crosier in his right hand and three lumps of gold balanced on a book in his left hand. According to the legend with these he saved three virgins

This close-up representation of the saint shows him facing left against a blue background. He is wearing bishop's vestments and holds a crosier in his right hand and three lumps of gold balanced on a book in his left hand. According to the legend with these he saved three virgins from being sold to a brothel by their father who was in need of money.

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Koepplin 2009, 7]

Production dates
about 1515
about 1518-1520

Production dates

about 1515

[Koepplin 2009, 7]

about 1518-1520

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 92, No. 110D]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 83.9 x 29 x 2.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 83.9 x 29 x 2.5 cm

  • Dimensions of the painted surface: 82 x 27 cm

  • [Koepplin 2009, 7]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung
Repository
Stadt- und Kulturgeschichtliches Museum Torgau
Location
Torgau
CDA ID
DE_SKMT_L-VI-1g40
FR (1978) Nr.
FR110D
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKMT_L-VI-1g40/

Connected Works

St Roch
  • St Roch, about 1515
  • DE_SKMT-Lost_L-VI-1g40
  • Painting
  • Geschichtsverein Torgau

Provenance

  • in the church in the Franciscan monastery (probably created for this church; in 1764 described as part of an altarpiece there)
    after 1873 the property of the Altertumsverein in Torgau and was then accessioned into Torgau museum collection, Schloss Hartenfels (catalogues from 1896 and 1931)
  • 1945 stolen
  • 1.-2.11.1979 Galerie Koller, Zurich, auction 42/2, No. 5095 A und B (wing panel; split)
  • 2008 in the auction house Fischer, Lucerne, acquired by the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung
  • 2009 returned to Torgau
    [Koepplin 2009, 4, 7]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Koepplin 2009 A
AuthorDieter Koepplin
TitleDer heilige Nikolaus, die Pestheiligen Sebastian und Rochus und der mit Wasser übergossene Dulder Hiob. Ein vorreformatorischer Cranach-Altar aus der Franziskanerkirche zu Torgau
SeriesKleine Schriften des Torgauer Geschichtsvereins
Volume20
Place of PublicationTorgau
Year of Publication2009
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The panel depicting St Nicholas was once the right wing of a triptych. It is documented that when the altar was closed St Nicholas adorned the exterior on the right hand side. On the left wing he was counterbalanced by a pope (perhaps St Gregory). When the altarpiece was open a depiction of St Sebastian was visible on the left wing and St Roche on the right (the reverse of St Nicholas). These saints, who were invoked against the plague, flanked the central panel showing St Jerome being tempted by the devil. His wife pours water over the naked saint who is covered in bruises, while he gives some money to three musicians.

[Koepplin 2009, 12-16, 33]

  • St Nicholas, about 1515

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall

Technical studies

Paint Layers and Gilding

- no gilding

Framing

- not original

[Koepplin 2009, 11]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'St Nicholas', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKMT_L-VI-1g40/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'St Nicholas', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SKMT_L-VI-1g40/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.