Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

Title

Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon

[CDA 2010]

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sylvatica)

Medium

Painting on beech wood (Fagus sylvatica)

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

Half-length portrait of Philipp Melanchthon (1497 - 1560) depicted without hands and facing left. He wears a black robe and is set against a light blue background.

The reverse was later painted black.

[Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Unsinn 2010]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Johann Lucas Cranach

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

'Workshop copy after a painting from 1532.'
[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

[Cat. Berlin 1931, 611, No. 617]

Johann Lucas Cranach

[Schuchardt 1851 A, 23, No. 31]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Waagen, Cat. Berlin 1830, 144, No.62]

Production dates
about 1540
about 1533 - 1540

Production dates

about 1540

[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

about 1533 - 1540

[cda 2021]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 37.2 x 23.6 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 37.2 x 23.6 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 51 x 37.8 cm

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse of the panel: - top centre:
label (Solly): 'D N° 3/ 62 Sie 24 [?]/ A

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • Reverse of the panel: - top centre:

  • label (Solly): 'D N° 3/ 62 Sie 24 [?]/ A [11]/ L [-9]'

    • centre right:

  • remains of an old seal.

    • bottom left:

  • label:'Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz/ Gemäldegalerie Berlin/ 619/ Cranach d. Ä. Werkstatt/ Philipp Melanchthon'

    • beneath:

  • label: 'Staatliche Museen Berlin - Gemäldegalerie/ Inventar-Nr. I 690/ Katalog-Nr. 619/ Cranach Werkstatt/ Melanchthon'

  • Reverse, on the backboard:

    • top centre:

  • stamp (branded?): 'Gemäldegalerie Berlin'

    • bottom left:

  • label: 'Staatliche Museen Berlin, Museum Dahlem/ Kat. Nr. 619/ Cranach, L. d. Ä. Werkstatt/ Bildnis Melanchtons'

  • Reverse of the frame:

    • top and bottom members:

  • stamp (branded?):'Gemäldegalerie Berlin'

    • left and right members:

  • stamp (branded?): 'Berlin'

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Owner
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Repository
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_smbGG_619
FR (1978) Nr.
FR314-315F
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_619/

Provenance

  • 1821 acquired with the Solly Collection
    [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, 36, No. 93
Montreal 1967, 382, No. 182
Weltausstellung, Osaka 1970

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Berlin 1996 35 Fig. 84
AuthorRainald Grosshans, Henning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin. Gesamtverzeichnis
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Klein 1994 A 198 Tab. 5
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
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 131 No. 315F
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Montreal 1967 382 No. 182
EditorLa Galerie Nationale de Canada
TitleMan and his World, International Fine Arts Exhibition, Expo 67
Place of PublicationMontreal
Year of Publication1967
Show Literature
Lilienfein 1942 59
AuthorHeinrich Lilienfein
TitleLukas Cranach und seine Zeit
Place of PublicationBielefeld
Year of Publication1942
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 36 093
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 252
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
Cat. Berlin 1931 611 No. 617
EditorKaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Berlin, Irene Kunze
TitleBeschreibendes Verzeichnis der Gemälde im Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum und Deutschen Museum
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1931
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1830 144 No. 62
AuthorGustav Friedrich Waagen
EditorKönigliches Museum, Berlin
TitleVerzeichniß der Gemälde-Sammlung des Königlichen Museums zu Berlin
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1830
Show Literature

Connected Works

Martin Luther
  • Martin Luther, about 1540
  • DE_smbGG_617
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
  • Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon, about 1540

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • reverse
  • reverse
  • x_radiograph
  • x_radiograph
  • detail

Documents

Technical studies

2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Light microscopy
  • Dendrochronology
  • reverse

Support

- beech wood

- the rebate has been preserved on all four sides

According to the most recent examinations carried out by Dr. Peter Klein the wood is from the same tree as that of the following paintings:

Lucretia, Staatliche Museen Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, 1832, [DE_smbGG_1832_FR239]

Philipp Melanchthon, Staatliche Museen Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, 619, [DE_smbGG_619_FR314-315F]

Friedrich the Wise, New York 46.179.1

An Ill-matched Pair, Staatliche Museen Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, 1606, [DE_smbGG_1606_FR-none]

Portrait of a Man, KAC. 31.112, [US_NAMAKC_31-112_FR415]

Christ as the Man of Sorrows, Bremen Roseliushaus, B56, [DE_KBSB_B56_FR381F]

Christ Taking Leave of the Apostles, Stockholm Nationalmuseum, NM 254 (Planks II+III)

Eve, Chicago, 1935.295

Duke Johann Ernst von Sachsen, Staatliche Museen Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, II 55, [DE_smbGG_55-2_FR-none]

The Electors of Saxony, Hamburger Kunsthalle (right and left wings), 606, [DE_HKH_HK-606a_FR338] and[DE_HKH_HK-606c_FR338]

Martin Luther, DON, 727

Ground and Imprimatura

- a barbe along the edge of the painted surface has been preserved on all four sides

  • written by Christine Unsinn

17.02.1997Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: beech wood

Youngest annual ring: 1531

[Klein Report, 17.02.1997]

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

Support made from the same tree

Portrait of Christiane of Eulenau
  • Portrait of Christiane of Eulenau, 1534
  • DE_BStGS_13706
  • Painting
  • Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony [left wing of the triptych]
  • Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony [left wing of the triptych], after 1532
  • DE_HKH_HK-606a
  • Painting
  • Hamburger Kunsthalle
Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony [right wing of the triptych]
  • Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony [right wing of the triptych], after 1532
  • DE_HKH_HK-606c
  • Painting
  • Hamburger Kunsthalle
Christ as the Man of Sorrows
  • Christ as the Man of Sorrows, about 1537
  • DE_KBSB_B56
  • Painting
  • Freie Hansestadt Bremen, Stadtgemeinde
Johann Ernst of Saxony
  • Johann Ernst of Saxony, about 1550
  • DE_smbGG_55-2
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
An ill-matched Pair
  • An ill-matched Pair, 1535
  • DE_smbGG_1606
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Lucretia
  • Lucretia, 1533
  • DE_smbGG_1832
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Friedrich III, the Wise, Elector of Saxony
  • Friedrich III, the Wise, Elector of Saxony, 1533
  • US_MMANY_46-179-1
  • Painting
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Portrait of a Man
  • Portrait of a Man, 1538
  • US_NAMAKC_31-112
  • Painting
  • The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
Martin Luther
  • Martin Luther, about 1540
  • DE_smbGG_617
  • Painting
  • Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Portrait of Martin Luther
  • Portrait of Martin Luther, after 1530
  • DE_SWK_6553
  • Painting
  • Sammlung Würth
Martin Luther, bust-length, facing left
  • Martin Luther, bust-length, facing left, as of 1533
  • DE_SAOH_2000-3a
  • Painting
  • Stiftung August Ohm, Hamburg
Christ taking Leave from the Apostels
  • Christ taking Leave from the Apostels, about 1535-1540
  • SE_NMS_NM254
  • Painting
  • Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_619/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_619/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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