The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints

The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints

Title

The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 1]

Painting on wood (wahrscheinlich Lindenholz)

Medium

Painting on wood (wahrscheinlich Lindenholz)

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 1]

The painting depicts the mystical marriage of St Catherine in the company of the saintly Virgins.

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 1]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 7]

Production date
about 1520

Production date

about 1520

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 7]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 40.6 x 26.7 x 0.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 40.6 x 26.7 x 0.5 cm

  • [Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 1]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P052
FR (1978) Nr.
FR085A
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P052/

Provenance

  • private collection
    [Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 1]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 85A
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
  • The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints, about 1520

Images

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Technical studies

23.08.2008Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Stereomicroscopy
  • Infrared reflectography
  • X-radiography
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Support

The wooden panel (40.6 x 26.7 x 0.5 cm) consists of two planks of different widths (top 11.2/15.5, bottom 11.7/15 cm). It is a softwood, probably lime. The x-radiograph shows fibres covering the join on the recto of the panel.

The panel was later thinned slightly on the reverse and cradled. The dimensions do not appear to have been altered. The proportions and the size of the support conform aproximately with the Standard format 'B' used by Cranach's workshop (B: c. 33.5-39 x 23.5-30 cm).

Ground and Imprimatura

The panel has a white ground application; it appears to be a chalk ground. On three sides the application does not extend to the edge, suggesting that the panel was fixed in a frame during this phase. On the left edge the ground extends to the edge. However here the ground and paint application extend over the edge of the panel and it is very probable that the panel was not fitted propery in the frame and not trimmed later. There is a barbe along the junction between the panel and the original frame. The raised form of the barbe indicates that the panel was probably smoothed in the frame.

There is a light red pigmented interlayer (Imprimatura) between the ground and the paint layers. Examination under the stereomicrscope revealed it may be an admixture of lead white and red lead.

Underdrawing

Infrared reflectography revealed an underdrawing executed in black ink on the ground (Examination Report, Sandner 2008). The drawing implement was probably a quill. The sketchy drawing of the figures generally employed short, curved lines to fix the contours and essential details. Faces, robes and jewellery were quite precisely defined; the background on the other hand remained a rough sketch. The tree trunk and the rock formation were only indicated with loose lines. Whether the prominant vertical lines at the left edge indicated a second tree is therefore difficult to ascertain. It may be presumed that a rough design, similar to Cranach's preparatory drawings on paper, was subsequently executed in a medium, which cannot be made visible (carbon or chalk). There are numerous small deviations from the underdrawing in the painted version. For example in the underdrawing St Barbara's robe has slits in the upper arm and is additionally decorated witha broad belt. These details as well as the necklace with a pendant were omitted in favour of a closed silk blouse. Furthermore St Barbara looks in a different direction: in the underdrawing she evidently looks at Christ, to whom she offers a piece of fruit, whereas in the painted version she looks away from the scene. A broad, decorative belt and an elaborate necklace are the attributes allocated to St Catherine in the other versions from the Cranach workshop. It is possible that the underdrawing of St Barbara in the present painting draws on the figure of St Catherine, like for example in the Budapest version, and that her costume was then adapted during the painting process. The underdrawing of St Dorothy's robes show broad folds in the area of the tower. At the same time these fold lines cross a second window drawn in the wall behind the head of St Barbara, which was not executed in paint. Accordingly the tower was evidently positioned between Sts Dorothy and Barbara in the underdrawing. This approach suggests that the creative process took place on the ground. It therefore seems improbable that the underdrawing refers to a detailed preparatory drawing or a well-developed prototype. Instead the evidence indicates, that the composition evolved on the ground.

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 2]

Paint Layers and Gilding

Flesh Paint

The flesh paint was laid in with an admixture of lead white and vermilion pigments. Shadows were uniformly modulated with semi-transparent brown glazes and highlights were added in a lighter flesh tone. The x-radiograph records this rapid modulation of the faces. The absorption pattern appears comparatively patchy and shows little concentration on modelling and light relationships. On the other hand the black eyelashes were included with comparative confidence in minute scale. On some of the smaller panels by Lucas Cranach and his workshop there are heads very similar in appearance and execution, for example on 'St Anne with the Virgin and Child' (about 1520, FR105) and the 'Crucifixion' in Mahlis/Saxony.

Draperies

The initial undermodelling of the green velvet robe of St Catherine and St Dorothy's purple dress was executed in black. Over this the tubular folds were modulated in green or violet and subsequently the transitions were harmonized with coloured glazes. The Virgin's red sleeve appears to have been underpainted employing vermilion and black and highlights were applied in white. The folds of St Margaret's red dress were almost completely modulated in white over the red underpaint using a fine pointed brush.

The Virgin's blue cloak appears to have been executed in azurite in strokes rather than stippled. The x-radiograph shows that the blue paint was applied after the the first layer of flesh paint and that the neckline was partially covered. The gold brocade robe of St Barbara follows a common practice, whereby a linear brocade pattern was superimposed over the folds modulated in yellowish-brown paint without considering their arrangement. It is the subsequent application of yellow and reddish gold threads that emphasizes the modelling of the folds. Glassy inclusions in the yellow paint and the strong absorption of x-rays suggests the use of lead-tin-yellow.

Sky and Landscape

The sky and part of the landscape were underpainted in grey (white and black pigments). A gradual gradation of the tonal value is evident from the Zenith (grau) to the horizon (white). The blue pigment was then worked up with a stippling technique. It appears to be fine grained azurite. The mid- and background landscape were laid in and flatly modulated in different colours. The details were added employing various brushes, different paint consistencies and methods of application. For example to represent tree bark and moss light coloured paint was stipppled over the underpaint with a bristle brush. Subsequently black calligraphic lines were applied to emphasize the structure of the bark. Similarly the background landscape was modulated with a more or less opaque application and texture was added with a fine pointed brush.

[...] The x-radiograph shows that the painting process was planned and executed without large changes. The borders between single areas of colour was fixed with the application of the underpaint. There were no apparent alterations or corrections made during the painting process.

Framing

The original frame has not been retained

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008]

  • examined by Gunnar Heydenreich

2008Technical examination / Scientific analysis

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  • created by Gunnar Heydenreich

11. 2007Technical examination / Scientific analysis

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Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black drawing medium; quill

Type/Ductus:

- freehand relatively detailed underdrawing

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version (the landscape in the background is only briefly indicated) the lines delineate the contours of the figures and indicate the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- adjustments were made during the painting process; changes (e. g. St Barbara’s robes, the direction of her gaze; the arrangement of the folds on St Dorothea’s robe are also indicated beneath the tower, in this area there is a second window behind the head of St Barbara that was not executed in the painted version.

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

Comments:

- the character of the underdrawing suggests the creative process was carried out on the ground. It appears unlikely that reference was made to a pre-existing design or prototype.

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich cda 2014]

Condition Reports

Date23.08.2008

The painting is in a relatively stable but visibly damaged and partially reworked state. The join and numerous splits are visible on the painted surface. The fine grain structure visible to the naked eye, particularly in the brown areas of the painting, is a small alteration (protrusions) in the paint layers, which was probably caused by a reaction of the lead in some pigments with the binding oil. In the faces, the hair, the clothes and the background area these protrusions and a number of past varnish removals have lead to obvious abrasion of the surface with the result that some finely drawn details, like for example the eyes of the saints are partially lost or clearly damaged. This damage as well as the the fact that the underdrawing shows through (caused by a natural saponification of the paint layers) were probably the reason for the partial retouches.

In particular the appearance of St Barbara's face is visibly distorted. The painterly quality appears to have been lessened as a result. A comparision of the right eye of St Catherine on the present painting and the respective eye on the panel in Budapest makes this clear. Comparable damage caused by protrusions has been identified on other Cranach paintings. The light patch on St Catherine's ear is a loss.

[Heydenreich, examination report, 2008, 5]

  • examined by Gunnar Heydenreich

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P052/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Marriage of St Catherine with Female Saints', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P052/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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