Christ Blessing the Children

Christ Blessing the Children

Title

Christ Blessing the Children

[cda 2021]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[cda 2021]

Painting on fir wood

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 132]

Christ is depicted at the centre of the composition crowded by both infants and young women dressed in fine Renaissance clothes and jewellery. He looks out at the viewer while holding an infant in his arms. A male head to Christ’s left probably represents one of the disciples whose desire

Christ is depicted at the centre of the composition crowded by both infants and young women dressed in fine Renaissance clothes and jewellery. He looks out at the viewer while holding an infant in his arms. A male head to Christ’s left probably represents one of the disciples whose desire to shield Christ had been over-ruled verbally. Behind him a further male head possibly a self-portrait of the artist cleverly included as a device within the composition. This subject, which was rarely depicted before the 16th century occupied a central role in reformation iconography.

[cda 2021]

Attributions
Master HB (with a griffin's head)
Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Master HB (with a griffin's head)

[cda 2021]

Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Berlin 1996, 616]

Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 132]

Production date
1548

Production date

1548

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 106 x 90 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 106 x 90 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 132]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the top right: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1548'; at the top left above arms of alliance, within the wreath: monogram 'HB' (linked)

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the top right: serpent with dropped wings, facing left and dated '1548'; at the top left above arms of alliance, within the wreath: monogram 'HB' (linked)

Inscriptions and Labels
  • along the top edge: 'LAST.DI.KINDLEIN.CZVMMIR.KVMMEN.VND.WERET.INE.NICHT.DAN.SOLCHER.IST.DAS.HIMELREICH.MAR.10'
  • at the top left benath the inscription: arms of alliance with the monogram 'HB'

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • along the top edge:

  • 'LAST.DI.KINDLEIN.CZVMMIR.KVMMEN.VND.WERET.INE.NICHT.DAN.SOLCHER.IST.DAS.HIMELREICH.MAR.10'

    • at the top left benath the inscription: arms of alliance with the monogram 'HB'
Owner
Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Berlin
Repository
painting not preserved
CDA ID
DE_smbGG-Lost_2126
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG-Lost_2126/

Provenance

  • Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Berlin (Inv. no. 2126)
  • transferred to the flak towers in Friedrichshain, Berlin for safe storage during the World War II
  • 06.05.1945 lost/destroyed when the towers were bombed
    [Cat. Berlin 1996, 616, no. 2126]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 132

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Coburg 2018 115, fn. 8
AuthorKlaus Weschenfelder
TitleCranach in Coburg. Gemälde von Lucas Cranach d.Ä., Lucas Cranach d.J., der Werkstatt und des Umkreises in den Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication2018
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1996 616
AuthorRainald Grosshans, Henning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin. Gesamtverzeichnis
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 48 132
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Three other variants of this composition are known to exist: one in a private collection [PRIVATE_NONE-P236] of the same dimensions, another of slightly larger dimensions in the Diocesan Museum, Mainz [DE_BDDM_M00524] and one in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The lettering and spelling of the biblical quotation from Mark 10, 14 diverge slightly on all three paintings. Furthermore, the other variants both exhibit the griffin head cypher associated with the monogrammist HB, whereas this painting was signed with the Cranach insignia of the winged serpent and the monogram 'HB'.

[cda 2021]

'The painting [DE_BDDM_M00524] is a repetition of a now lost version (formerly in Berlin) that was signed with the serpent insignia and dated 1548'

[Weschenfelder, Cat. Coburg 2018, 115, Fn. 8]

  • Christ Blessing the Children, 1548

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • detail
  • detail

Versions

Christ blessing the Children
  • Christ blessing the Children, about 1525 - 1550
  • FR_MNR_521
  • Painting
  • Musées Nationaux Récupération, France
Christ Blessing the Children
  • Christ Blessing the Children, about 1550
  • PRIVATE_NONE-P236
  • Painting
  • Private Collection
Christ Blessing the Children
  • Christ Blessing the Children, 155[.]
  • DE_BDDM_M00524
  • Painting
  • Bischöfliches Dom- und Diözesanmuseum Mainz

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG-Lost_2126/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG-Lost_2126/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.