The Siege of Wolfenbüttel

Title

[cda 2019]

Painting on a cloth support

Medium

Painting on a cloth support

[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

The painting depicts the siege and the bombardment of Wolfenbüttel as well as the position of the military camps and the redoubts, labelled with explanatory texts. The camp of the Elector of Saxony is in a prominent position in the foreground. The military camp of the Landgrave of Hesse is separated by the river Oker and is located at the right edge of the image, while the troops of the city of Braunschweig are visible at the left behind the town.

[see: Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Attribution: Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Production date: shortly after 1542

Production date

shortly after 1542

[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 85 x 132 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 85 x 132 cm
[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Signature / Dating: None

Inscriptions and Labels

above the image:
'Wahrhafftige Abcontrafactuhr Welcher gestaldt Schloß und Stadt Wolfenbüttel den 3. Augusti AO:1542 vom Churfürsten zu / …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

- above the image:
'Wahrhafftige Abcontrafactuhr Welcher gestaldt Schloß und Stadt Wolfenbüttel den 3. Augusti AO:1542 vom Churfürsten zu / Sachsen und Landgraffen zu Hessen belagert und Sonntags nach Laurentii den 12. Augusti eingenommen worden, Aus Lucas [...] holtz / schnitt nachgemalt[...]'
[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Owner: Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha
Repository: Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha
Location: Gotha

CDA ID: DE_SMG_SG977
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMG_SG977/

Provenance

probably transferred from Ernestine property via Weimar to the collection in Gotha
since 1691 recorded in the collection of the dukes of Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg
[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

Exhibitions

Gotha 2015, No. 110

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel 2015

296-297

No. 110

Fig. p. 297

Editor	Julia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper
Title	Bild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Gotha, Herzogliches Museum; Kassel, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe]
Place of Publication	Heidelberg
Year of Publication	2015

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The prototypes for the present painting were a large woodcut (74.5 x 109 cm) consisting of eight parts by Cranach the Younger as well as a painting on ‚cloth’ by Cranach the Elder, which has not survived. It is recorded that in 1542 by order of Johann Friedrich the 70 year old artist travelled to Wolfenbüttel to make drawings of the town. The commissioner evidently considered the subject of great importance.[…]

The Gotha painting, like the woodcut, was probably completed shortly after the event as the significance and demand for the subject had dwindled by 1547.

In comparison with the graphic version alterations and deviations suggest that the painting was created by an artist closely associated with the Cranach workshop.

[Exhib. Cat. Gotha 2015, 296-297, No. 110]

The Siege of Wolfenbüttel, shortly after 1542

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'The Siege of Wolfenbüttel', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMG_SG977/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'The Siege of Wolfenbüttel', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMG_SG977/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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