The Virgin Suckling the Child

The Virgin Suckling the Child

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, revised 2011]

The Virgin is depicted sitting in front of a mountain landscape with her child on her lap. She offers him her right breast, which the child grasps in both hands.

[Miklós Gálos, Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, Budapest 2011]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, revised 2011]

Dating
about 1515
about 1512

Dating

about 1515

[Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010, No. 75]

about 1512

[Cat. Budapest 2003, 29]

about 1516

[Cat. Budapest 1967, 165]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 81.6 x 54 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 81.6 x 54 cm

  • [Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating

None

Labels

Reverse of the panel: - top, right:
label, in black ink: 'Principe Fondi'
- on the right:
handwritten in …

Labels

later inscription, stamps, seals, labels:

  • Reverse of the panel: - top, right:

  • label, in black ink: 'Principe Fondi'

  • - on the right:

  • handwritten in pencil (20th century): '918/2'

  • - top, centre:

  • label, in black ink: 'No 156.'

  • - in the centre:

  • two modern labels from the Szépmuvészeti Múzeum

  • - bottom left:

  • remnants of two collectors stamps, one shows three heads in profile

  • - bottom right:

  • remains of a label, printed with: 'III'(?)

  • [Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, revised 2011]

Owner
Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, Budapest
Repository
Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, Budapest
Location
Budapest
CDA ID
HU_SMB_4328
FR (1978) Nr.
FR080A
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/HU_SMB_4328/

Provenance

- in Principe Fondi's Collection (as No. 41, according to: [Cat. Budapest 1913, 11-12, No. 22]. In 1895 (22 April - 1 May) the collection of Oderisio de Sangro, Principe di Fondi was auctioned in Rome, at the Galerie Sangiorgi. The Virgin was not amongst the works auctioned.
- Count János Pálffy (1829-1918), Pezinok castle (German: Bösing, Hungarian: Bazin, Slovakia)
- 1912 Szépmuvészeti Múzeum Budapest, Bequest of Count János Pálffy

[Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, revised 2011]

Exhibitions

Budapest, Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, 1953, No. 35
Budapest, Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, 1981, No. 40
Brussels, BOZAR, 2010, No. 75
Paris, Musée du Luxembourg, 2011, No. 75

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Sandner 2021 75, 76 Fig. 6
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleDie Werkstattpraxis Lucas Cranach des Älteren
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages71-81
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Paris 2011 No. 75
EditorGuido Messling
TitleCranach et son temps [Paris, Musée du Luxembourg]
Place of PublicationParis
Year of Publication2011
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Brussels 2010 146 75 p. 146
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
Cat. Budapest 2003 29
EditorIldikó Ember, István Takács
TitleMuseum of Fine Arts Budapest. Old Masters' Gallery. Summary Catalogue, Vol. 3: German, Austrian, Bohemian and British Paintings
Volume3
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication2003
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Budapest 1981 No. 40
EditorIldikó Ember
Title75 éves a Szépmuvészeti Múzeum, Jubileumi kiállítás
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1981
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 86 No. 80A
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Cat. Budapest 1967 165
AuthorAndor Pigler
TitleKatalog der Galerie Alter Meister I-II
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1967
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Budapest 1953 7, 20 035
EditorIvan Fenyo
TitleLucas Cranach emlékkiállítás
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1953
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 under No. 44
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. Budapest 1914 929-930
Authorn. a.
TitleAz Országos Magyar Szépmuvészeti Múzeum állagai.
Volume3/2
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1914
Show Literature
Cat. Budapest 1913 11-12 No. 22 with Fig.
EditorGábor Térey, Hornyánszky
TitleKatalog der Gemäldegalerie des Grafen Johann Pálffy
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1913
Show Literature
Térey 1913 129 Fig. p. 131
AuthorGábor Térey
TitlePálffy János gróf képgyujteménye II. Északi festok
JournalVasárnapi Újság
Place of PublicationBudapest
Issue60
Year of Publication1913
Pages129-131
Show Literature
Cat. Budapest 1909 A 28-29 No. 55
EditorJános Peregriny
TitleNéhai nagyméltóságú Erdodi gróf Pálffy János bazini kastélyában található fesmények, miniatureök és grafikai lapok jegyzéke
Place of PublicationBudapest
Year of Publication1909
Show Literature
  • The Virgin Suckling the Child, about 1515

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License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Technical studies

10. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader lines; occasional hatching-strokes

Function:

- only partially binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential details and the facial features; little representation of volume (hatching-strokes)

Deviations:

- alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; changes (e.g. the virgin’s hands, the infant Christ and background)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop (Simon Franck?)

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

03. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • UV-light photography
  • conservation

Versions2

The Virgin, breastfeeding the child
  • The Virgin, breastfeeding the child, about 1516
  • DE_HLMD_GK69
  • Painting
  • Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt
Madonna Lactans
  • Madonna Lactans, about 1515 - 1520
  • AT_KW_11500-179
  • Painting
  • Provinzialat der Kapuziner Österreich-Südtirol

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Virgin Suckling the Child', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/HU_SMB_4328/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Virgin Suckling the Child', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/HU_SMB_4328/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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