The Marriage of St Catherine

Title

[examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Painting on hardwood

Medium

Painting on hardwood

[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

The Virgin sits at the centre wearing a red dress and a blue coat. She supports the child on her lap with her right hand and holds a bunch of grapes in her left hand. St Catherine kneels on the left, facing to the right and the little one puts a ring on her finger. St Barbara kneels beside the Virgin on the right, to her left behind the Virgin is St Dorothy with a basket of flowers. A black curtain hangs from St Barbara's tower to the top left corner and is held and stretched by a host of small angels. There is a mountainous landscape in the background on the right.

[see Flechsig 1900 B, 16 on HU_SMB_133]

Attribution: Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015] [Christie's online catalogue, accessed 12.12.2022]

Production date: about 1516 - 1520

Production date

about 1516 - 1520

[examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 61 x 39.9 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 61 x 39.9 cm
[examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia at the lower right: winged serpent and dated "[?]532"

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the lower right: winged serpent and dated "[?]532"
(presumably added later)
[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P111
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P111/

Provenance

Walter Maximilian de Zoete (1845-1934), Colchester
his sale (†), Christie’s, London, 5 April 1935, lot 61 (160 gns.)
when acquired by the following, with Spink, London
J.H. Clements Ansell, London
Christie’s, London, 25 October 1940, lot 63, (20 gns. to Farillo [?]).
anonymous sale [The Property of a Deceased Estate]; Christie’s, London, 12 December 1975, lot 127, as ‘L. Cranach’
anonymous sale; Auktionhaus Nagel, Stuttgart, 9 March 1976, lot 880 [1], as Lucas Cranach I and mistakenly recording the provenance of the painting in the Count Lobkowitz collection, Castle Raudnitz
property of a gentleman
sold at Christie's, London, 06.07.2017, lot 9
[1] [Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]
[Christie's online catalogue, accessed 12.12.2022]

Research History / Discussion

The painting depicts the Mystical Marriage of St Catharine amongst the Holy Virgins. The subject was represented in numerous versions by Cranach and his workshop assistants. A painting very similar to this one is in the collection of the Museum of fine Art, Budapest (1516/18, FR 86) and another panel with an almost identical coomposition was auctioned be Paul Graupe in 1932.

[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Neither the choice of materials for the serpent nor its shape correspond with those usually employed for insignias on paintings from the Cranach workshop. The dark paint appears to partially cover the craquelée. Significant is also the fact that the figure '5' appears to cover a painted pebble. The date and insignia were probably added at a later stage and more recently partially removed. It is unlikely that the painting was completed about 1532 for stylistic reasons.

[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

The Marriage of St Catherine, about 1516 - 1520

Images

Technical studies

01. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

X-radiography

created by Gunnar Heydenreich

01. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid, black medium, brush?

Type/Ductus:

- economic, freehand underdrawing, based on a pre-existing design

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively bindiing for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours, describes the essential details within forms and defines facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor adjustments were made during the painting process; small changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

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

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Stereomicroscopy
Infrared reflectography
X-radiography
UV-light photography
Instrumental material analysis

Support

The wooden panel (61 x 39.9 x 0.6 cm) consists of two planks of different widths (top 23.3/16.6, bottom 23.8/16.1 cm). It is made of hardwood, probably lime. A wooden insert (ca. 6.8 x 2.5 cm) was used to repair a large damage in the bottom left corner. The x-radiograph shows that the recto was partially covered with fibres (tow). The fibres were applied in strips perpendicular to the joins over damages at the top and bottom of the wooden support.

[Examination report, Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

Ground and Imprimatura

- the panel has a white ground. There is a barbe present on all four sides.

Underdrawing

A few faint underdrawing lines are visible in the infrared reflectogram. The lines delineate the main contours and define essential detail. No significant deviations from the final painted version are visible. In numerous areas brown contour lines were subsequently covered with paint (e. g. in the left hand of the Virgin). In the infrared reflectogram these lines are barely disinguishable from the lines executed during the painting process.

Paint Layers and Gilding

The elements detected in the paint layers employing XRF analysis were associated with the following pigments by comparing their optical properties:

lead white, lead-tin-yellow, iron oxide, vermilion, copper green, azurite

The identification of calcium suggests the use of calcium carbonate (chalk) in the ground or/and as a bulking agent.

The blue paint in the sky and in the Virgin's robe was dabbed on. The flesh paint was also in part dabbed on and modulated with brushstrokes. The x-radiograph shows that the application of paint was executed without significant corrections. Each individual form was painted within distinct boarders and overlapped only to a minor extent. In numerous areas the contours were corrected slightly, among others on the Virgin's head. The eyelashes on the lower eyelids were painted twice. The initial attempt was covered with pale flesh paint and subsequently the slightly curved eyelashes were applied with brown paint and a pointed brush. and are of considerably better quality.

[Examination report, Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

examined by Gunnar Heydenreich
examined by Diana Blumenroth

Condition Reports

2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Other imaging techniques

Paint Layers and Gilding

The following elements were detected employing XRF analysis and the associated pigments could be identified by comparing the optical properties:

Dark blue: lead white (Pb), azurite/malachite(Cu), zink white (Zn) retouching?

Blue: lead white (Pb), azurite/malachite (Cu)

Flesh paint (cheek): lead white (Pb), vermilion (Hg)

Pale yellow: lead white (Pb)/ lead-tin-yellow (Pb/ Sn), vermilion (Hg), iron oxide (Fe)

Red: lead white (Pb), iron oxide (Fe), vermilion (Hg)

Pale green (bushes): lead white (Pb)/ lead-tin-yellow (Pb/ Sn), green containing copper/ Malachite (Cu)

White (mountains): lead white (Pb), azurite/malachite (Cu)

Dark green: lead white (Pb), green containing copper/ malachite (Cu)

Pale blue (gown): lead white (Pb), azurite(Cu)

Green (gown): lead white (Pb)/ lead-tin-yellow (Pb/ Sn), green containing copper/ malachite (Cu)

Red (gown): lead white (Pb), iron oxide (Fe), vermilion (Hg)

Yellow (hair): lead white (Pb)/ lead-tin-yellow (Pb/ Sn), iron oxide (Fe)

Brown (hair): lead white (Pb), vermilion (Hg), iron oxide (Fe)

White (eyes): lead white (Pb)

Dark red (gown): lead white (Pb), vermilion (Hg), iron oxide (Fe)

Green/ Blue: lead white (Pb), azurite/malachite (Cu)

Red: (Pb), vermilion (Hg), iron oxide (Fe)

[Examination report Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2014]

The panel painting is in a stable condition. The panel was thinned and cradled. The edges were trimmed by a few millimetres; the dimensions of the composition remained unaltered. The support exhibits old splits and minimal paint loss in the bottom left corner. These were partially filled and retouched during a previous intervention. The top left corner was also reconstructed. The paint layers are slightly abraded in numerous areas.

[Examination report, Heydenreich/Blumenroth 2015]

examined by Gunnar Heydenreich
examined by Diana Blumenroth

Versions

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'The Marriage of St Catherine', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P111/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'The Marriage of St Catherine', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P111/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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