The Miraculous Mass of Saint Gregory the Great

Title

[sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; (accessed 15.04.2020]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]

This painting illustrates the miraculous story of Saint Gregory the Great (circa 540-604), one of the Four Doctors of the early Catholic Church who also served as Pope from 590-604. Legend has it that once while saying Mass, Gregory became aware of a congregation member who doubted the Transsubstantiation (when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ). As he prayed for a sign to convince the doubter, Gregory beheld a vision of Christ as the Man of Sorrows surrounded by the instruments of his Passion rising from the altar.

The Mass of Saint Gregory became a popular subject among artists during the Reformation because it illustrated the validity of the Doctrine of the Transsubstantiation. The artist of this painting has imbued his interpretation of the tale with a curious dynamism, depicting characters and objects from the biblical narrative of the last days of Christ within a billowing cloud. Next to the figure of Christ crowned with thorns float the disembodied heads of Pontius Pilate with his wife, Caiaphas, and Judas as well as the cock that crowed thrice, the tools of his crucifixion, and angels.

The panel is charged below with the coats-of-arms of the Venediger and Remees families.

[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]

Attribution: Master of the Mass of St Gregory

Attribution

Master of the Mass of St Gregory

[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]; [Werner Schade, Christie's online database: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/master-of-the-mass-of-saint-gregory-5155174-details.aspx?; accessed 15.04.2020]; [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, SUP 6F]

Production date: about 1520 - 1525

Production date

about 1520 - 1525

[cda 2020]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 120 x 95.9 cm (without additions); 121.9 x 97.8 cm (with additions)

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 120 x 95.9 cm (without additions); 121.9 x 97.8 cm (with additions)
[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]

Signature / Dating: None

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P336
FR (1978) Nr.: FRSup006F
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P336/

Provenance

1906 the Duchess von Bose, Ellinghausen near Grimmenthal [1]
with J. Vermeulen, Amsterdam, 1926 (as Lucas Cranach I)
anonymous sale, Cologne, Lempertz, 23 March 1927, lot 44 (as Lucas Cranach I)
anonymous sale, Frankfurt, Bangel, 17 May 1927, lot 9 (as Lucas Cranach I)
anonymous sale, Munich, Helbing, 19-20 July 1927, lot 226 (as Lucas Cranach I)
anonymous sale, Stuttgart, Nagel, 21 March 1998, lot 848
private collection
sold, London, Christie's, 2 December 2008, lot 16
private collection, California
sold New York, Sotheby's 26 January 2017, lot 104
[1] [handwritten on the reverse of a b/w photograph, Koepplin Archive]
[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

Sup. 6F

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

358f

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

One of the earliest and most popular images of the subject was Albrecht Dürer's print of 1511. [1] This print would have been widely circulated and understood throughout Europe, and many artists seem to have been indebted to the originality of his composition, including that of the present work. [2]

[1] See Bartsch 123 (142)

[2] Another notable example in reverse of the print and the present work is Adriaen Ysenbrandt's The Mass of Saint Gregory the Great in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 69.PB.11

[Sotheby's online database: http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/master-paintings-sculpture-day-sale-n09602/lot.104.html; accessed 15.04.2020]

The Miraculous Mass of Saint Gregory the Great, about 1520 - 1525

Images

Conservation History

Date1906 - 1927

The figure of a donor and the coat-of-arms on the right was uncovered during a restoration campaign of uncertain date, but before 1927.

[cda 2020]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'The Miraculous Mass of Saint Gregory the Great', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P336/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'The Miraculous Mass of Saint Gregory the Great', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P336/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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