Saint Ursula with an entourage of maidens

Title

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, under No. Sup. 2]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Bernheimer, Munich, online database, 2015]

St Ursula is represented holding the arrow symbolising her martyrdom as well as an open book in her hands. Her hair is pinned up under a bonnet and as such she differs in appearance to her entourage of virgins, who wear their hair down, or in a plait. All of the women are dressed in sumptuous robes accompanied by the appropriate jewellery. The tightly packed group is shown in front of a black backdrop with a half-rounded top. The upper area of the panel has been gilded and decorated with incised floral patterns.

[Görres, cda 2016]

Attributions: Simon Franck
Master of the Pflock Altarpiece

Attributions

Simon Franck	[Auct. Cat. London 2014] Colnaghi, London [Bernheimer, online database 2015]
Master of the Pflock Altarpiece	[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, under No. Sup 2]

Production date: about 1520 - 1523

Production date

about 1520 - 1523

[Bernheimer, online database 2015]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 215 x 94 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 215 x 94 cm
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, under No. Sup 2]
[Bernheimer, online database 2015]

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P137
FR (1978) Nr.: FRSup002
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P137/

Connected Works

Provenance

Maurice de Talleyrand-Perignond, Duc de Dino[1]
sale, Christie's London, 14 May 1904, lot 103, as 'L. CRANACH - groups of male and female donors', sold to Mad. Helfl (or Helft) for £115-10s.[1]
Collection of Baron and Baroness Raoul Kuffner, Diosek by 1938 [1][2]
their sale, Parke Bernet, New York, 18 November 1948, lots 33 and 34[1]
Hartveld Sale, Parke Bernet, New York, 15 November 1950, lots 71 and 72[1]
Sale, Weinmüller, Munich, 5/6 December 1962, lot 1272a & ?[1]
Private Collection, Austria.[1]
07.2014 Colnaghi, London [3]
[1] [Bernheimer, Munich, online database, 2015]
[2] A Christie's stencil on the reverse (804 GS) shows that the present pair was delivered to Christie's in 1938 as part of a collection of 130 paintings owned by Baron Raoul Kuffner de Dioszegh. They were not consigned for sale and may have been at Christie's for the purposes of valuation only.
[3][Auct. Cat. London 2014]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

Sup 2

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Editor	G. Schwartz
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Basel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication	1979

Show Literature

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932

354

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1932
Link	http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932

Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

Our panels were attributed to Simon Franck by Sandner. They are considered to be important works by this master who associated with Cranach and ranks among the most interesting German Renaissance artists.

[Bernheimer, online database 2015]

Saint Ursula with an entourage of maidens, about 1520 - 1523

Images

Technical studies

2013Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- dark, fluid medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- detailed, freehand underdrawing

- relatively thin lines; occasional fine hatching strokes (neck)

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; the lines delineate the main contours, define forms therein and describe facial features; isolated representation of volume with hatching strokes

Deviation:

- minor corrections were made to forms during the painting process; scant changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- 1st Workshop assistant, (Simon Franck?); previous attributions: Master of the Mass of St Gregory, Master of the Pflock Altar

Comments:

- transferred freehand from a pre-existing design

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2017]

photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Saint Ursula with an entourage of maidens', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P137/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Saint Ursula with an entourage of maidens', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P137/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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