Old Man and Young Courtesans

Old Man and Young Courtesans

Title

Old Man and Young Courtesans

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 151, No. 401]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 151, No. 401]

An old man laughing sits in the company of three young women at a table. The cards and wine glass are references to indulgence and debauchery, which include the old man's lust: while one of the women holds her hands over his eyes another unobtrusively gathers together his money and

An old man laughing sits in the company of three young women at a table. The cards and wine glass are references to indulgence and debauchery, which include the old man's lust: while one of the women holds her hands over his eyes another unobtrusively gathers together his money and the third woman stows it away in her apron. A young gesticulating couple at the edge of the painting comment on the event. [Carrasco, Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 245, No. 146]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 245, No. 146]

Production dates
about 1537
after 1537

Production dates

about 1537

[Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 245, No. 146]

after 1537

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 151, No. 401]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 81.8 x 120.9 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 81.8 x 120.9 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 245, No. 146]

Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia at the top right: serpent (with dropped wings)

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the top right: serpent (with dropped wings)

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P161
FR (1978) Nr.
FR401
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P161/

Provenance

  • v. Schönaich-Carolath Collection
  • Munich, art market
  • 1910 Collection of Freiherr von Bissing, Munich
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 151, No. 401]

Exhibitions

Düsseldorf 2017, No. 146

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017 245 No. 146
EditorGunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Cranach. Meister - Marke - Moderne", Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, 08. April 2017 - 30. Juli 2017]
Place of PublicationMünchen
Year of Publication2017
Schade, Schuttwolf 1994 31
AuthorWerner Schade, Allmuth Schuttwolf
TitleMalerei und Plastik
Publicationin Allmuth Schuttwolf, ed., Gotteswort und Menschenbild. Werke von Cranach und seinen Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication1994
Pages15-94
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 151 No. 401 Fig. 401
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979

Research History / Discussion

The depiction is an innovative, multi-figured variation of the subject of the ‚Ill-matched Pair‘ and is similar to the figurative group compositions of Hercules and Omphale after 1530. The subject and motif as well as the date, horizontal format and dimensions link the panel with two other paintings: one shows a lusting old man being made drunk by two women and stolen from (FR291), while the other one painted by Lucas Cranach the Younger and now in Dresden shows two ill-matched pairs, respectively with an old man and an old woman as well as a young pair (FR292). The panel that is representative of Cranach’s creative diversification of established subjects could be one of the two documented ‚Buhlschaften‘ (illicit relationship) as having been in Hartenfels castle in Torgau. It is also conceivable that it was part of a ‘Weibermacht’ (Power of Women) series as has been suggested for the Dresden painting. [Carrasco, Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 245, No. 146]

  • Old Man and Young Courtesans, about 1537

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
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Technical studies

2017Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

- an underdrawing is not readily visible; however there is evidence that lines were drawn with a stylus and then reinforced using a fluid medium and a brush

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2019]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Old Man and Young Courtesans', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P161/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Old Man and Young Courtesans', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P161/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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