Philipp Melanchthon

Philipp Melanchthon

Title

Philipp Melanchthon

[Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Leading figure of the Reformation

[Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Attributions
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder (and Workshop?)

Attributions

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Lucas Cranach the Elder (and Workshop?)

[Mauritshuis, revised 2015]

Lucas Cranach the Younger

'Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder or Lucas Cranach the Younger' [Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2015, No. 1/18]

Production dates
1540 - 1560
about 1545

Production dates

1540 - 1560

/SK-A-2561,0] (accessed 29.05.2013)

about 1545

[Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]
[Cat. Den Haag 1968, 21, No. 891, Fig.]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 36.8 x 23 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 36.8 x 23 cm

  • [Mauritshuis, revised 2015]

  • 36 x 23 cm

  • [Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at centre right: 'L' crowned by a winged serpent, facing left; in black paint

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at centre right: 'L' crowned by a winged serpent, facing left; in black paint

  • [Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]

Owner
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Repository
Mauritshuis, Den Haag
Location
Haag
CDA ID
NL_RM_SK-A-2561
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_RM_SK-A-2561/

Provenance

  • lent by C Hoogendijk, The Hague, 1907
  • presented by his estate in 1912
  • on loan to the Koninklijk Kabinet van Schilderijen 'Het Mauritshuis' (royal picture gallery, the Mauritshuis) since 1951 from the Rijksmuseum (Inv. No. A 2561)
    [Cat. Amsterdam 1976, 180]
    [Mauritshuis, revised 2015]

Exhibitions

Wittenberg 2015, no. 1/18

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Wittenberg 2015 182-183 1/18 p. 183
EditorRoland Enke, Jutta Strehle, Katja Schneider
TitleLucas Cranach der Jüngere - Entdeckung eines Meisters, Stiftung Luthergedenkstätten in Sachsen-Anhalt, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Augusteum, 26 June - 1 November 2015
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Show Literature
Henkels 1993
AuthorHerbert Henkels
TitleCézanne en Van Gogh in het Rijksmseum voor moderne Kunst in Amsterdam: de collectie van Cornelis Hoogendijk (1866-1911)
JournalBulletin van het Rijksmuseum
Issue41
Year of Publication1993
Pages155-287
Show Literature
Cat. Amsterdam 1976 180
Authorn. a.
TitleAll the paintings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A completely illustrated catalogue
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication1976
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Basel 1974/1976 291 under No. 170
AuthorDieter Koepplin, Tilman Falk
TitleLukas Cranach. Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik
Volume1, 2
Place of PublicationBasel, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1974
Link http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-diglit-104522
Show Literature
Bangel 1915 72
AuthorR. Bangel
TitleDie Sammlung Hoogendijk im Rijksmuseum
JournalCicerone
Issue7
Year of Publication1915
Pages171-189
Show Literature
Cat. Amsterdam 1911 108 0735c
EditorRoeloffzen-Hübner, Van Santen
TitleCatalogue des tableaux, miniatures, pastels, dessins encadrés, etc., du Musée de l'État à Amsterdam avec supplemen.
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication1911
Link https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k64819817/f1.item
Show Literature
Cat. Amsterdam 1909 366 0735c
EditorRoeloffzen-Hübner, Van Santen
TitleCatalogus der schilderijen, miniaturen, pastels, omlijste teekeningen, enz. in het Rijks-museum te Amsterdam
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication1909
Link https://archive.org/details/catalogusderschi00rijk_3/page/366/mode/2up
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

This portrait is of approximately the same dimensions as a Portrait of Caspar Cruciger in a private collection[PRIVATE_NONE-P516]. Both paintings exhibit a similar signature: a serpent with dropped wings facing left, with the monogram 'L' inscribed beneath it, both executed in black paint. According to an essay in the Christie's auction catalogue (10.06.2022, lot 24) both paintings were exhibited as pendants while on loan to the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam in 1909 [see Cat. Amsterdam 1909, 366, nos. 735b/735c]. A similar signature has been identified on a further two panels, both now in Oldenburg: a Portrait of Erasmus[DE_LmKKO_15-574] and a Portrait of Veit Dietrich or Caspar Cruciger [?] on his Deathbed [DE_LmKKO_15-575]. Both also of approximately the same dimensions.

[cda 2022]

  • Philipp Melanchthon, 1540 - 1560

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr
  • analysis
  • analysis

Technical studies

10. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

An underdrawing is not readily visible.

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2016]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

2000Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Micro-sampling / cross-sections
  • analysis
  • analysis

891x01 95-cp

Sample location: blue background (along the top edge)

9- varnish

8- varnish

7- layer with prussian blue; no fluorenscence in UV

6- transparent blue layer (no pigment particles visible); no fluoresence in UV

5- varnish

4- upper paint layer containing lead white and azurite

3- lower paint layer containing lead white and black

2- isolating (size) layer; fluorenscing in UV

1- ground applied in two layers: the upper layer contains lead white whereas the lower layer probably only contains chalk

[Treatment Report, Mauritshuis, The Hague 2000]

28.07.1999Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography

Support

- Beech? panel of two radial planks, vertically butt joined

- tongue extends on all edges, facilitating mounting in fixed frame

- trimmed slightly on right edge

- black paint applied on reverse as back protection, probably original

Ground and Imprimatura

- three preparatory layers: double whitish chalk/glue ground over which a glue isolation layer appears to have been applied

Underdrawing

- underdrawing of black dots and lines vaguely visible in corners of mouth, eyes and along nose (IRR)

Paint Layers and Gilding

- generally built up in thin smooth paint layers

- face was painted first: ocherish flesh tones modelled with addition of red glazes and opaque dark brown shadows

[Mauritshuis 1999]

Similar Motifs

Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam
  • Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1549
  • DE_LmKKO_15-574
  • Painting
  • Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Oldenburg
Veit Dietrich on his Deathbed
  • Veit Dietrich on his Deathbed, after 1549
  • DE_LmKKO_15-575
  • Painting
  • Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Oldenburg
Portrait of Caspar Cruciger
  • Portrait of Caspar Cruciger, after 1537
  • PRIVATE_NONE-P516
  • Painting
  • Private Collection

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_RM_SK-A-2561/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/NL_RM_SK-A-2561/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.