Portrait of Martin Luther

Portrait of Martin Luther

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Portrait of Martin Luther. He is wearing a black coat and a hat and he is painted on a blue/greyish background.

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Production date
1532

Production date

1532

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 37.0 x 23.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 37.0 x 23.5 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 52.5 x 23.5 cm

  • [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the left edge, centre: winged serpent with elevated wings facing right and dated '1532'; in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the left edge, centre: winged serpent with elevated wings facing right and dated '1532'; in black paint

  • [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Owner
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Repository
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Location
Copenhagen
CDA ID
DK_SMK_KMSsp720
FR (1978) Nr.
FR314A
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DK_SMK_KMSsp720/

Provenance

  • 1674: The Royal Art Chamber
    [Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Exhibitions

Copenhagen 2002
Hamburg 2003, No. 44
Rosenborg 2010

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Poulsen 2015 A 68, 69 Fig. 3
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleCranachs Bildsprache und der neue lutherische Glaube
Publicationin Julia Carrasco, Justus Lange, Benjamin D. Spira, Timo Trümper, Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha and Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel, eds., Bild und Botschaft. Cranach im Dienst von Hof und Reformation, [Exhib. Cat. Gotha, Kassel]
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2015
Pages63-71
Show Literature
Wadum 2015 193, 194 Fig. 1
AuthorJorgen Wadum
TitleCranach, His Sons, and Their Workshop. the Never-ending Problem of Hands (Part I)
Publicationin Elke A. Werner, Anne Eusterschulte, Gunnar Heydenreich, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere und die Reformation der Bilder
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Pages191-199
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Copenhagen 2010
EditorJutta Kappel, Claudia Brink
TitleTro, styrke, kaerlighed. Danmark og Sachsen - aegteskaber, politiske og kulturelle forbindelser (1548-1709) [Rosenborg slott, Copenhagen, 16.2 - 24.5 2010, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Residenzschloss, Dresden, 24.8 2009 - 4.1 2010]
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication2010
Show Literature
Poulsen 2007 A Fig. p. 210
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleBetween convention, likeness and iconicity. Cranach's portraits and Luther's thoughts on images
Publicationin Andreas Tacke, ed., Lucas Cranach 1553/2003. Wittenberger Tagungsbeiträge anlässlich des 450. Todesjahres Lucas Cranachs des Älteren
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication2007
Pages205-216
Show Literature
Poulsen 2007 B 28 Fig.
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleAt brande Frederik 2. om Melchior Lorcks kobberstik-portraet af Frederik 2., Branding king Frederik II
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Tacke 2007 D 210 Fig. 3; Fig. p. 210
EditorAndreas Tacke
TitleLucas Cranach 1553 - 2003. Wittenberger Tagungsbeiträge anlässlich des 450. Todesjahres Lucas Cranachs des Älteren
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Hamburg 2003 56, 175 044 Pl. 44
EditorBucerius Kunst Forum, Werner Schade
TitleLucas Cranach. Glaube, Mythologie und Moderne [Bucerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg]
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Copenhagen 2002 59-60, 69 No. 41 Fig. p. 60
AuthorHanne Kolind Poulsen
TitleCranach [Statens Museum for Kunst , Copenhagen]
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication2002
Show Literature
Gundestrup 1991 18 (Vol. 1) No. 642/27-28 (Vol. 1) Fig. p. 19 (Vol. 1)
AuthorBente Gundestrup
TitleDet Kongelige danske Kunstkammer 1737 = The Royal Danish Kunstkammer 1737
Volume1-3
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication1991
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 No. 314A
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 252i
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
Hertz 1924 364
AuthorPeter Hertz
TitleDen kongelige Malerisamlings Tilblivelse
Volume8 - 10
JournalKunstmuseets Aarsskrift
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication1924
Pages115-137
Show Literature
Madsen 1924 33f. Fig.
AuthorKarl Madsen
TitleCranach-Portrætter i Kunstmuseet
Place of PublicationCopenhagen
Year of Publication1924
Link https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/samleren1924/0065
Show Literature
  • Portrait of Martin Luther, 1532

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

19.08.2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • X-radiography
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  • created by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

19.08.2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

- an underdrawing is not readily visible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich cda 2014]

  • photographed by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Support

The wooden support has a thickness of 6 mm.

The back of the panel are slightly bevelled at all four sides and there are horizontal marks from a plane.

The wooden panel curves outward in the vertical direction.

There are vertical cracks visible in the surface of the painting.

The painting has lots of holes from inactive wood worm attacks.

The back of the panel has been impregnated with wax.

Paint Layers and Gilding

The painting is painted with oil paint and has natural ageing cracks all over the surface.

There has been applied a new varnish on top of an old one. Some scratches in the underlying old varnish are visible through the new varnish.

Framing

The frame is a black painted wooden frame and partly gilded.

The frame has open joints in the corners, lots of scratches, small paint losses and old retouches.

The frame has lots of holes from woodworm. The attack is inactive.

Unknown whether the frame is the original.

[Statens Museum for Kunst, revised 2013]

Condition Reports

Date04.02.2010

  • examined by Henrietta Havsteen-Mikkelsen

Date05.12.2008

  • examined by Henriette Heyn Olesen

Date25.03.2003

  • examined by Henrik Bjerre

Date1969

Date01. 1966

  • examined by Ole Alkærsig

Conservation History

Date06. 2010

  • treatment of frame
  • conservation treatment by Anne Haack Christensen

Date03. 2002

  • conservation treatment by L. B.

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DK_SMK_KMSsp720/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DK_SMK_KMSsp720/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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