Portrait of Martin Luther

Portrait of Martin Luther

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther

[Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Auct. Cat. New York 2010, lot 254]

The painting depicts Martin Luther as a half-length figure against a grey background. He is shown in three-quarter profile facing right and has been shifted slightly to the left, off the central axis of the panel. Luther wears a black gown with high collar over a black tunic, which has

The painting depicts Martin Luther as a half-length figure against a grey background. He is shown in three-quarter profile facing right and has been shifted slightly to the left, off the central axis of the panel. Luther wears a black gown with high collar over a black tunic, which has a red ribbon at the neck and reveals the black fringed collar of a white shirt. Luther's plump facial features are characterized by a five o'clock shadow; his short curly hair oscillates between dark and light shades of grey. In his hands, Luther presents the viewer with an open book showing a biblical passage in German from the first letter to Timothy.

[Görres, cda 2013]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Cat. Frankfurt 2021 A, 34] [Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, No. 37] [Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Production date
1559

Production date

1559

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 82,6 x 62 x 0,8 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 82,6 x 62 x 0,8 cm

  • [Cat. Frankfurt 2021 A, 31]

  • Dimensions of support: 82.5 x 62.2 cm

  • [Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia top left: winged serpent with dropped wings, in black paint, facing right and date '1559'.

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia top left: winged serpent with dropped wings, in black paint, facing right and date '1559'.

  • [Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Inscriptions and Labels
  • in the open book, verso:

Title: 'Die Erste Epistel'
text:
'Denn das ist ihe gewislich
war vnd ein theuer werdes

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • in the open book, verso:

  • Title:

  • 'Die Erste Epistel'

  • text:

  • 'Denn das ist ihe gewislich

  • war vnd ein theuer werdes

  • wort das Christus Jhesus ko

  • [men] ist in die welt / die sunder

  • [selig] zu machen vnter welchen

  • ich der furnemest bin. Aber

  • darumb ist mir barmhertzig

  • keit wiederfahren, auf das an

  • mir furnemlich Jhesus Christ

  • us erzeigte alle gedult zum exem

  • pel denen die an in glauben soltn

  • zum ewigen leben Aber gott

  • dem ewigem könig dem vnuer

  • gencklichem vnsichtbarn vnd

  • allein weissen seie ehre vnd prei

  • se inn ewigkeit. Amen.

  • Das gebot befelh ich dir mein

  • sohn'

    • in the open book, recto:

  • Title:

  • 'An Timotheon'

  • Page top right:

  • 'CLII'

  • Text:

  • 'sohn Timothee nach den vor

  • igen weissagungen vber dir

  • das du in denselbigen eine gu

  • te Ritterschafft vbest, vnnd

  • habest den glauben vnd ein

  • gutes gewissen welchs etlich

  • von sich gestossen vnnd am

  • glauben ein schiffbruch erlit

  • ten haben. [on right edge specification of chapter: "II. CAP"] So ermane

  • ich nu das mann fur allen din

  • gen zu erst thu bitte gebet fur

  • bitte vnd dancksagung fur al

  • le menschen fur die konig vnd

  • fur alle oberkeit auf das wir

  • ein geruglichs vnd stilles leben

  • furen mogen inn aller gottselig

  • keit'

  • [Görres, cda 2013]

Owner
Städel Museum Frankfurt a.M.
Repository
Städel Museum Frankfurt a.M.
Location
Frankfurt am Main
CDA ID
DE_SMF_2320
FR (1978) Nr.
FR423
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMF_2320/

Provenance

  • Dr. Emile Isambert, Paris (1827 - 1876)
  • his auction, Paris (Hotel Drouot), 07.03.1877 to Louvet
  • 1924-1926 with the art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, Amsterdam
  • 1925 (?) Mr. and Mrs. Nathan J. Miller [contradicts the evidence in Goudstikker's exhibition catalogue from 1926, no. 15]
  • 1932 private collection, New York
    1. June 1978 anonymous sale, Sotheby's, New York, lot 153 (as Lucas Cranach the Elder)
  • where purchased by French and Co., New York
  • sold by the above to a private collector, New York
    1. Jan. 2000 sold at Sotheby's, New York, lot 24
  • acquired by a private collector
    1. Jan. 2010 Sotheby's, New York, lot 254, remained unsold
  • acquired by the Städel Museum Frankfurt a. M.
    [Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot. 254]
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, no. 423]
    [Cat. Frankfurt 2021 A, 34]

Exhibitions

Amsterdam 1926, no. 26
Rotterdam 1926, no. 15
New York 1956
Baltimore 1975-1978
Gotha/Kassel 2015, no. 37

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Frankfurt 2021 A 30-45 002 Pl. p. 30, dtl. p. 45
AuthorAlmut Pollmer-Schmidt, Christiane Weber, Fabian Wolf, Mareike Gerken
TitleDeutsche Gemälde im Städel Museum 1550 - 1725
VolumeBd. 1
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2021
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel 2015 158, 159, 342, 343 37 Pl. p. 159, Fig. p. 343 (T37)
EditorJulia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper
TitleBild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Gotha, Herzogliches Museum; Kassel, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Wadum 2015 195, Fn. 10, 196, Fn. 17
AuthorJorgen Wadum
TitleCranach, His Sons, and Their Workshop. the Never-ending Problem of Hands (Part I)
Publicationin Elke A. Werner, Anne Eusterschulte, Gunnar Heydenreich, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere und die Reformation der Bilder
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Pages191-199
Show Literature
Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A lot. 254
AuthorSotheby's Auction House, New York
TitleSotheby's. Important Old Master Paintings and Sculpture. New York, 28 January 2010
Place of PublicationNew York
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Schade, Schuttwolf 1994 48
AuthorWerner Schade, Allmuth Schuttwolf
TitleMalerei und Plastik
Publicationin Allmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication1994
Pages15-94
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 423
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 340
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
Exhib. Cat. Rotterdam 1926 015
EditorJacques Goudstikker
TitleCatalogue de la Collection Goudstikker d'Amsterdam [Rotterdam, Rotterdamsche Kunstkring, 10-25.04.1926]
Place of PublicationHaarlem
Year of Publication1926
Link https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6436413v/f5.item
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Mistakenly ascribed to Lucas Cranach the Elder, the present painting was thought to be dated '1539' until it was restored 1978. Cleaning revealed that the painting's authentic date was '1559', but that at some point in history, the third digit in the date had been changed from a '5' to a '3'. The date of 1559 precludes the authorship of Cranach the Elder, as he had passed away in 1553 and his son, Lucas Cranach the Younger, had taken over as head of a family studio. Such tampering was clearly an attempt to pass the work off on the market as an autograph painting by Cranach the Elder; however, it is now clear that this is a work of high quality by Cranach the Younger.

[Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Connected Works

Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon
  • Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon, 1559
  • DE_SMF_SG349
  • Painting
  • Städel Museum Frankfurt a.M.
  • Portrait of Martin Luther, 1559

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
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  • overall
  • irr

Technical studies

03. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- dry drawing material (dark chalk)

Type/Ductus:

- relatively detailed underdrawing, both freehand and copied (traced)

- fine lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define facial features; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- almost no alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms; no changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Younger or workshop?

Comments:

- probably transferred (traced) from a pre-existing design

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

Conservation History

Date1978

Restored and authentic date of '1559' (not '1539') uncovered beneath the overpaint

[Auct. Cat. New York 2010 A, lot 254]

Date1932 - 1978

A cradle was attached to the reverse of the panel and it may have been trimmed slightly [...] The panel was enlarged slightly in format with the addition of battens (0.5 cm in width) that were glued to all four sides.

[Cat. Frankfurt 2021 A, 34]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMF_2320/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMF_2320/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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