Venus and Cupid

Venus and Cupid

Title

Venus and Cupid

[CDA 2010]

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

Medium

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Venus, the Godess of Beauty and Love, clad in a thin veil, stands against a black background next to her son Cupid, the God of Love, who holds a bow and arrow.

[Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Unsinn 2010]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Production date
about 1530

Production date

about 1530

[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Dimensions
Dimensions including frame: 184 x 78.6 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions including frame: 184 x 78.6 cm

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia to the left of Cupid at hip height at the edge of the painting: winged serpent with elevated wings; in white paint.

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia to the left of Cupid at hip height at the edge of the painting: winged serpent with elevated wings; in white paint.

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel: - centre right:
seal: Königliche Museen

  • bottom centre:
    label: 'Staatliche Museen Berlin - Gemäldegalerie/ Kat.Nr. 594/ …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel: - centre right:

  • seal: Königliche Museen

    • bottom centre:

  • label: 'Staatliche Museen Berlin - Gemäldegalerie/ Kat.Nr. 594/ Lucas Cranach d. Ä./ Venus und Amor'

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Owner
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Repository
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_smbGG_594
FR (1978) Nr.
FR241
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_594/

Provenance

  • acquired from the Royal Castles' Collection (Königliche Schlösser)
    [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, 33, No. 80
Berlin 1973, No. 13

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Wismer 2017 86, 88 Fig. 4
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
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
Widmaier-Picasso 2005 69
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
Kolind Poulsen 2003 131, 132 Fig. 5
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleFläche, Blick und Erinnerung. Cranachs Venus und Cupido als Honigdieb im Licht der Bildtheologie Luthers
Publicationin Heinz Spielmann, Werner Schade, eds., Lucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne, Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Pages130-143
Show Literature
Spielmann 11 Fig. 11
AuthorHeinz Spielmann
TitleCranach als Parameter
Publicationin Heiz Spielmann, Werner Schade, eds., Lucas Cranach Glaube Mythologie und Maderne , Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Pages6-11
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1996 34 Fig. 67
AuthorRainald Grosshans, Henning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin. Gesamtverzeichnis
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Hinz 1994 A 41
AuthorBerthold Hinz
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und seine Bildermanufaktur. Eine Künstlersozialgeschichte
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication1994
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 119 No. 241 Fig. 241
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1975 A No. 594
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleKatalog der ausgestellten Gemälde des 13. - 18. Jahrhunderts
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1975
Show Literature
Schade 1974 Plate 158
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. 13
AuthorWilhelm H. Köhler, Frank Steigerwald
TitleLucas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Druckgraphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1973
Show Literature
Ruhmer 1963 25 Plate 36
AuthorEberhard Ruhmer
TitleCranach
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1963
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 33 080 Pl. 66
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 199
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
Nicolai 1893 899 (Bd. II) No. 584
AuthorFriedrich Nicolai
TitleBeschreibung der Königlichen Residenzstädte Berlin und Potsdam, aller daselbst befindlicher Merkwürdigkeiten und der umliegenden Gegend
Volume2
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1893
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 16-17 18
AuthorChristian Schuchardt
TitleLucas Cranach des Aeltern Leben und Werke. Zweiter Theil
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1851
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schuchardt1851bd2
Show Literature
Puhlmann 1790 No. 62
AuthorJohann Gottlieb Puhlmann
TitleBeschreibung der Gemählde welche sich in der Bildergallerie, den daranstossenden Zimmern, und dem weissen Saale im Königl. Schlosse zu Berlin befinden
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1790
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

"[The signature] was revealed in 1936 by Dr. Johannes Hell during a the restoration for the 1937 Cranach exhibition.'

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, 33, No. 80]

  • Venus and Cupid, about 1530

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • irr
  • x_radiograph
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  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • analysis

Documents

Technical studies

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood

  • analysed by Peter Klein

01. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid medium and brush? in combination with dark chalk?

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing?; barely visible

- thin lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; occasionally describe essential details; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- none visible

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Younger?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • reverse
  • analysis

Support

- limewood

- the panel consists of six boards glued together

  • written by Christine Unsinn

22.09.1989Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • analysis

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood

[Klein Report, 22.09.1989]

  • written by Peter Klein
  • X-radiography
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • created by Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Venus and Cupid', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_594/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Venus and Cupid', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_594/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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