Friedrich III the Wise, Elector of Saxony

Friedrich III the Wise, Elector of Saxony

Painting on beech wood

Medium

Painting on beech wood

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

Half-length portrait of Friedrich (III) the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463 - 1525), facing right, against a light blue background. He wears a black beret and a fur-lined overcoat.

[Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Unsinn 2010]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

After 1860 it was considered to be a workshop portrait
[Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]
[Cat. Berlin 1860, 217, No. 636]

Lucas Cranach the Elder

It was attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder until at least 1841
[Waagen, Cat. Berlin 1830, 190, No. 99]

Dating
1532

Dating

1532

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 13.5 x 13.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 13.5 x 13.5 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 20.5 x 20.5 cm

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia above the sitter's proper right shoulder: winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1532' above

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia above the sitter's proper right shoulder: winged serpent with elevated wings and dated '1532' above

Inscriptions

- top right:
there was once an inscription
- bottom:
remains of an inscription

Both inscriptions were probably the same …

Inscriptions

Inscriptions:

  • - top right:

  • there was once an inscription

  • - bottom:

  • remains of an inscription

  • Both inscriptions were probably the same as those found on the copies (see related works)

Labels

Reverse of the panel:
Organic pattern, below a coat-of-arms.
(possibly with a dark glaze?)
Woodcut, Coat-of-arms belonging to Johannes …

Labels

later inscription, stamps, seals, labels:

  • Reverse of the panel:

  • Organic pattern, below a coat-of-arms.

  • (possibly with a dark glaze?)

  • Woodcut, Coat-of-arms belonging to Johannes of Saxony

  • [handwritten in the documentation file]

  • - top:

  • label: 'N No 315/ Pie: Zoll/ A 5'

  • - Top right:

  • label: 'Staatliche Museen Berlin - Gemäldegalerie/ Katalog Nr. 636/ Lucas Cranach d. Ä. Schule/ Friedrich der Weise'

  • - Beneath to the right:

  • 'I. 715.'

  • - Left: label:

  • 'K.Nr. 636/ Inv. I/715'

  • [Gemäldegalerie, revised 2010]

Owner
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Repository
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
Location
Berlin
CDA ID
DE_smbGG_636
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_smbGG_636/

Provenance

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

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, 35, 36, no. 91
Rotterdam 1969, no. 306
Leipzig 1994, 29-33

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Aikema 2010 14
AuthorBernard Aikema
TitleCranach. A different Renaissance
Publicationin Anna Coliva, Bernhard Aikema, eds., Cranach l'altro rinascimento, a different Renaissance, Exhib.Cat. Rome
Place of PublicationRome
Year of Publication2010
Pages13-33
Show Literature
Heydenreich 2007 A 404
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
Cat. Berlin 1996 35 Fig. 85
AuthorRainald Grosshans, Henning Bock
EditorStaatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie
TitleGemäldegalerie Berlin. Gesamtverzeichnis
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1996
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 29-33 Figs. A10-A17
EditorClaus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff
TitleLucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken [Festung Rosenberg, Kronach 17.05 - 21.08.1994; Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig 07.09 - 06.11.1994]
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Show Literature
Auct. Cat. Berlin 1990 No. 374
EditorAuktionshaus Leo Spik, Berlin
TitleLeo Spik, Auktion 554, Berlin, Oktober 1990
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1990
Show Literature
Auct. Cat. London 1981 A 46 No. 26
EditorChristie's Fine Art Auction House, London
TitleChristie's, Freitag, 11. Dezember 1981
Place of PublicationLondon
Year of Publication1981
Show Literature
Auct. Cat. Cologne 1980
EditorKunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne
TitleVorschau auf Auktion 579. Kunsthaus Lempertz 1980
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication1980
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Rotterdam 1969 No. 306
AuthorJ. Besse
EditorMuseum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam
TitleErasmus en zijn tijd[Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen]
Place of PublicationRotterdam
Year of Publication1969
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 35, 36 091
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Cat. Berlin 1860 217 No. 636
EditorGustav Friedrich Waagen
TitleKönigliche Museen - Verzeichniss der Gemälde-Sammlung
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1860
Show Literature
Schuchardt 1851 C 20-21 26
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
Cat. Berlin 1830 190 No. 99
AuthorGustav Friedrich Waagen
EditorKönigliches Museum, Berlin
TitleVerzeichniß der Gemälde-Sammlung des Königlichen Museums zu Berlin
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1830
Show Literature
  • Friedrich III the Wise, Elector of Saxony, 1532

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License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Documents

Technical studies

17.02.1997Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: beech wood

  • analysed by Peter Klein

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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Entry with no author
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