David and Bathsheba

David and Bathsheba

Title

David and Bathsheba

[CDA 2010]

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

Medium

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sp.)

[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]
[Klein, Report 1997]

Bathsheba sits at the edge of the water surrounded by three women and has her feet washed by a maiden. Behind her there are bushes and a high wall. King David, who is playing a harp, looks down from the parapet with three other men.

[Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Unsinn 2010]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]
[Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003, 172, No. 33]

Production date
1526

Production date

1526

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 38.8 x 25.6 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 38.8 x 25.6 cm

  • Dimensions of the painted surface: 36.7 x 24.2 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 47.8 x 35.3 cm

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia on the right side of the wall: winged serpent with elevated wings, facing left and dated '1526'; in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia on the right side of the wall: winged serpent with elevated wings, facing left and dated '1526'; in black paint

Owner
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Repository
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_smbGG_567B
FR (1978) Nr.
FR210
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_567B/

Provenance

  • 1890 acquired from Frau Medizinalrat Klaatsch in Berlin
    [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 37
Berlin 1973, no. 7
Hamburg 2003, no. 33
Frankfurt 2008, 300, no. 88
Paris 2008

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Wismer 2017 88
AuthorBeat Wismer
TitleCranach und die Moderne. Anmerkungen zur Cranach-Rezeption in der Kunst seit der frühen Moderne
Publicationin Gunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer, eds., Lucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2017
Pages82-91
Show Literature
Bücken 2010 62, 63, 64 57
AuthorVeronique Bücken
TitleHeroinen und Femmes Fatales im Werk von Lucas Cranach
Publicationin Guido Messling, ed., Die Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys, Exhib. Cat. Brussels
Place of PublicationBrussels
Year of Publication2010
Pages54-65
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010 62 57
EditorBozarbooks & Lannoo, Guido Messling
TitleDie Welt des Lucas Cranach. Ein Künstler im Zeitalter von Dürer, Tizian und Metsys [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Die Welt des Lucas Cranach", Palast der Schönen Künste, Brüssel, 20. Oktober 2010 - 23. Januar 2011]
Place of PublicationBrussels
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007 300-301 88 p. 301
EditorBodo Brinkmann
TitleCranach der Ältere, [Frankfurt, Städel Museum, 23 Nov 2007 - 17 Feb 2008]
Place of PublicationOstfildern
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Heydenreich 2007 A 399
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleLucas Cranach the Elder
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication2007
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/6116/2097/3099/Heydenreich_2007_Lucas_Cranach_the_Elder.pdf
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 227 under No. 5 Fig. 111
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Widmaier-Picasso 2005 64, 65, 69, 74
AuthorDiana Widmaier-Picasso
TitlePicasso und Cranach der Ältere. Kunst als Lebenskraft
Publicationin Harald Marx, Ingrid Mössinger, Karin Kolb, ed., Cranach. Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Pages64-77
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003 49, 172 033 Pl. 33
EditorBucerius Kunst Forum, Werner Schade
TitleLucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne [Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg]
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1998 88
AuthorHenning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin: 200 Meisterwerke
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1998
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1996 34 Fig. 63
AuthorRainald Grosshans, Henning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin. Gesamtverzeichnis
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Klein 1994 A 196, 199 Tabs. 4, 9
AuthorPeter Klein
TitleLucas Cranach und seine Werkstatt. Holzarten und dendrochronologische Analyse
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff, eds.,Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages194-200
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1975 A 118
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleKatalog der ausgestellten Gemälde des 13. - 18. Jahrhunderts
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1975
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 263, 577 under No. 474
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
Schade 1974 84 Plate 128
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleDie Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1974
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1973 No. 7
AuthorWilhelm H. Köhler, Frank Steigerwald
TitleLucas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Druckgraphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1973
Show Literature
Ruhmer 1963 Plate 20
AuthorEberhard Ruhmer
TitleCranach
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1963
Show Literature
Kunoth-Leifels 1962
AuthorElisabeth Kunoth-Leifels
TitleÜber die Darstellungen der "Bathseba im Bade". Studien zur Geschichte des Bildthemas, 4. bis 17. Jahrhundert
Place of PublicationEssen
Year of Publication1962
Show Literature
Lüdecke 1953 B 71 Fig. 84
AuthorHeinz Lüdecke
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Der Künstler und seine Zeit
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1953
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 26 055 Pl. 52
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 173
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
Hoffmann-Krayer, Bächtold-Stäubli 1930/1931 224ff.
AuthorH. Hoffmann-Krayer, H. Bächtold-Stäubli
TitleHandwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens
Volume3
Place of PublicationBerlin, Leipzig
Year of Publication1931
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

"Erstmals hat Cranach diesem Thema in einem Holzschnitt der Bibelillustration, „Das Ander Teyl des Alten Testaments“, von 1524 in Wittenberg Gestalt gegeben."

[Schade 1974, 84]

  • David and Bathsheba, 1526

Images

Compare images
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  • irr
  • x_radiograph
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  • detail
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  • other
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  • other
  • analysis

Documents

Technical studies

01. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- barely visible, dry drawing material?

Type/Ductus:

- traced lines?

- occasional delicate, fine lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; small changes (harp)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- not possible

Comments:

- possibly with reference to a preparatory drawing or may even have been transferred from a pre-existing design

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • analysis

Support

The panel consists of a single beech wood plank. 133 annual rings were counted. They match the beech wood chronology between the years 1516 and 1384. The wood is from the same tree as that of the panels 'Martin Luther ' and 'Katharina of Bora' in Stockholm where the most recent annual ring dated is from the year 1523. Considering a two year seasoning period the painting could have been created no earlier than 1525.

  • written by Christine Unsinn

17.02.1997Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

  • analysed by Peter Klein

02.10.1989Naturwissenschaftliche Materialanalyse

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • analysis

Support

  • written by Peter Klein
  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph

Support made from the same tree

Katharina von Bora, half-length, facing left
  • Katharina von Bora, half-length, facing left, 1526
  • SE_NMS_5017
  • Painting
  • Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Martin Luther, half-length, facing right
  • Martin Luther, half-length, facing right, 1526
  • SE_NMS_5016
  • Painting
  • Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'David and Bathsheba', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_567B/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'David and Bathsheba', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_567B/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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