Portrait of King Ferdinand I.

Portrait of King Ferdinand I.

Title

Portrait of King Ferdinand I.

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

'The pictorial type is that of the many bust portraits including hands. The future emperor is depicted in three-quarter profile against a pale blue background, wearing black clothing. He wears the pendant of the Order of the Golden fleece on a black band around his neck. Generally wrongly labelled as

'The pictorial type is that of the many bust portraits including hands. The future emperor is depicted in three-quarter profile against a pale blue background, wearing black clothing. He wears the pendant of the Order of the Golden fleece on a black band around his neck. Generally wrongly labelled as Emperor Charles V., but with reference to individual peculiarities as well as numerous printed illustrations and medallions unequivocally identified as King Ferdinand by Hilger in 1968.

Ferdinand (1503-1564), the younger brother of Charles (by three years), ruled the Austrian hereditary land of the Hapsburg House from 1521/22, and in 1526 became King of Hungary and Bohemia. In 1531 he was elected King of the Romans and successor to Charles and became emperor in 1556. In 1547 he took part in the campaign against the Schmalkaldik league alongside his brother.'

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Production date
1548

Production date

1548

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 20.7 x 14.7 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 20.7 x 14.7 cm

  • [cda 2013]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the top right: winged serpent and dated '1548'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the top right: winged serpent and dated '1548'

  • [Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Inscriptions and Labels

On the reverse there is a small red wax seal in each corner.

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • On the reverse there is a small red wax seal in each corner.

  • [Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Owner
Staatliches Museum Schwerin, Kunstsammlungen Schlösser, Gärten
Repository
Staatliches Museum Schwerin, Museum Schloss Güstrow
Location
Güstrow
CDA ID
DE_SMS_G2486
FR (1978) Nr.
FR345A
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMS_G2486/

Provenance

  • acquired between 1868 and 1874
    [Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Exhibitions

Düsseldorf 2017, No. 129

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017 225 No. 129
EditorGunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Cranach. Meister - Marke - Moderne", Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, 08. April 2017 - 30. Juli 2017]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2017
Show Literature
Cat. Schwerin 1990 20 008
AuthorKristina Hegner
TitleKunst der Renaissance
Place of PublicationSchwerin
Year of Publication1990
Show Literature
Hegner 1989 6ff.
AuthorKristina Hegner
TitleAltdeutsche Kunst [Faltblatt]
Place of PublicationSchwerin
Year of Publication1989
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 No. 345A
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 287, 303 No. 199 Fig. 166
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
Exhib. Cat. Bucarest 1973 B under No. 116
EditorWerner Schade, Hans-Joachim Gronau
TitleLucas Cranach cel Batrîn (1472-1553) Lucas Cranach cel Tînar (1515-1586) Jocob Lucius cel Batrîn (1530-1597) ranach cel Tînar (1515-1586) Jocob Lucius cel Batrîn (1530-1597)
Year of Publication1973
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 1972 No. 262
Authorn. a.
TitleLucas Cranach, Zeit, Leben, Werk. Dokumentationsausstellung des Cranach-Komitees der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik 1972[Wittenberg, Staatl. Lutherhalle, 9. September - 31. Dezember 1972]
Place of PublicationWittenberg
Year of Publication1972
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 48 133
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 under No. 279
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
Holst 1930 29
AuthorNiels von Holst
TitleDie deutsche Bildnismalerei zur Zeit des Manierismus
SeriesStudien zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte
Volume273
Place of PublicationStrasbourg
Year of Publication1930
Show Literature
Heyck 1908 52
AuthorEduard Heyck
TitleLukas Cranach
SeriesKünstlermonographien
Volume95
Place of PublicationBielefeld
Year of Publication1908
Link https://archive.org/details/lukascranach01heycgoog
Show Literature
Doering, Voss 1905 Plate 28c
EditorOskar Doering, Georg Voss
TitleMeisterwerke der Kunst aus Sachsen und Thüringen. Gemälde, Skulpturen, Schnitzaltäre, Medaillen, Buchmalereien, Weberien, Goldschmiedekunst
Place of PublicationMagdeburg
Year of Publication1905
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Erfurt 1903 134
EditorOskar Doering
TitleKatalog der kunstgeschichtlichen Ausstellung zu Erfurt, September 1903
Place of PublicationMagdeburg
Year of Publication1903
Link https://archive.org/details/katalogderkunstg00ange/page/n1/mode/2up
Show Literature
Flechsig 1900 A 276
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1899 No. 70
EditorKarl Woermann
TitleDeutsche Kunstausstellung Dresden 1899. Abteilung Cranach-Ausstellung. Wissenschaftliches Verzeichnis der ausgestellten Werke
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1899
Link http://resolver.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/SBB00002A2400000000
Show Literature
Bode 1891 164 Fig. p. 166
AuthorWilhelm Bode
TitleDie Grossherzogliche Gemälde-Galerie zu Schwerin
Place of PublicationVienna
Year of Publication1891
Show Literature
Cat. Schwerin 1882 No. 159
AuthorFriedrich Schlie
TitleBeschriebendes Verzeichniss der Werke älterer Meister in Grossherzoglichen Gemälde-Gallerie zu Schwerin
Place of PublicationSchwerin
Year of Publication1882
Show Literature
Schlie 1882 22
AuthorFriedrich Schlie
TitleKurzes Verzeichniss der Bilder in der Grossherzoglichen Gemälde-Gallerie zu Schwerin
Place of PublicationSchwerin
Year of Publication1882
Show Literature
Schlie 1883 18
AuthorFriedrich Schlie
TitleKurzes Verzeichniss der Bilder in der Grossherzoglichen Gemälde-Gallerie zu Schwerin
Place of PublicationSchwerin
IssueSecond edition
Year of Publication1882
Show Literature
Prosch 1863 44 (III)
AuthorEduard Prosch
TitleCatalog und Inventarium der Grossherzoglichen Gemälde-Gallerie und der Grossherzoglichen Sammlung plastischer Kunstwerke in Schwerin
Year of Publication1863
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The portrait in Schwerin appears to be derived from Cranach's memories of an encounter with Ferdinand in the imperial camp near Wittenberg as well as illustrations by other artists: engraving by Barthel Behams from 1531 (the facial features and position of the head correlate) and the printed woodcut by Michael Ribestein from 1547 (same clothing with the pendant and similar position of the hands - see fig. F27 in Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1938). Hilger assumes the woodcut was dependent on the painting and that the panel is therefore a lost painting by Cranach the Elder. However, the painting may have been painted in association with drawings for woodcuts, showing Charles V and Ferdinand as full-length figures in official clothing, which were created in the workshop of Cranach the Younger (see Koepplin).

[...] Generally attributed to the younger Cranach, with the exception of the Schwerin Museum. Schade (Bucarest 1973) and Koepplin attribute it to Lucas Cranach the Elder on account of its earlier stylistic characteristics.

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

  • Portrait of King Ferdinand I., 1548

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
  • x_radiograph

Technical studies

07. 2013Technical Examination

Support

- verso and dimensions original

[cda 2013]

07. 2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing?

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential details and the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2013]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

1974Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph

Condition Reports

Date1990

Retouching in the area of the right coronal bone and the hands. Varnish yellowed.

[Cat. Schwerin 1990, 20]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of King Ferdinand I.', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMS_G2486/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of King Ferdinand I.', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SMS_G2486/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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