Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4

Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4

Title

Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4

[cda 2021]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Inventory of the family association: 'Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie', e.V., 1928]

Painting on lime wood

[Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 147]

This full-length portrait of Prince Christian I of Saxony (1560-1591) at the age of four belongs to a series of six portraits completed between 1563 and 1565, depicting Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586), his wife, Princess Anna of Denmark (1532–1585) and his four children.

Christian I is shown here facing

This full-length portrait of Prince Christian I of Saxony (1560-1591) at the age of four belongs to a series of six portraits completed between 1563 and 1565, depicting Elector Augustus of Saxony (1526-1586), his wife, Princess Anna of Denmark (1532–1585) and his four children.

Christian I is shown here facing left, standing on a marble floor and casting a shadow on the neutral background. He is wearing a skirted coat of plain velvet with gold brocade trimmings and a pair of puffed trunks. The white ruffed shirt is visible at the neck and his cylindrical velvet hat is decorated with gold embroidery and a feather. His attire is completed by two large linked chains.

[cda 2021]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Flechsig 1900 A, 288] [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 147] [Inventory of the family association: 'Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie', e.V., 1928]

Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

'[a]n Cranachs Schule erinnernd, aber aus späterer Zeit' (Inventar Vorrat 1858, no. 413) [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005, 517, 522, Fn. 11]

Production date
1564

Production date

1564

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 125 x 61.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 125 x 61.5 cm

  • [Christie's New York, sales catalogue 25.01.2023, lot 113]

  • 125 x 61 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 147]

  • 127 x 64 cm

  • [Inventory of the family association: 'Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie', e.V., 1928]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia at the bottom left: serpent with dropped wings, facing right, dated above '1564'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia at the bottom left: serpent with dropped wings, facing right, dated above '1564'

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Unknown
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P385
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P385/

Connected Works

Portrait of Princess Marie, sister of Christian I
  • Portrait of Princess Marie, sister of Christian I, 1564
  • PRIVATE_NONE-P386
  • Painting
  • Private Collection

Provenance

  • (probably) commissioned by Augustus (1526-1586), Elector of Saxony, circa 1564, and hung at the Dresden Court, and by descent in the House of Saxony to,

  • Christian I (1560-1591), Elector of Saxony (1586-1591), Schloss Moritzburg, and by descent to,

  • John George I (1585-1656), Elector of Saxony (1611-1656), and by descent to,

  • John George II (1613-1680), Elector of Saxony (1656-1680), and by descent to,

  • John George III (1647-1691), Elector of Saxony (1680-1691), and by descent to,

  • John George IV (1668-1694), Elector of Saxony (1691-1694), and by descent to,

  • Frederick Augustus (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony (1670-1733) and King of Poland (1697-1733)
    [Christie's New York, sales catalogue 25.01.2023, lot 113]

  • 1806 recorded in the catalogue of the Picture Gallery at the Dresden court (nos. 316, 317)

  • 1860 transferred to the 'Obermarschallamt' (Marschal Services) for decorative purposes

  • 1924 transferred to the House of Wettin within the context of the Expropriation of the Princes in the Weimar Republic

  • in the collection of Prince Ernst Heinrich, Duke of Saxony, Moritzburg [1]

  • 1928 listed in the inventory of the family association: 'Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie', e.V. [2]

  • since then in private collections
    [1] [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937, no. 147]
    [Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2002, 515-517, 522]

  • private collection, Switzerland, by 1974

  • with Edward Speelman Ltd., London, by 1987, where acquired by former owner

  • sold at Christie's, New York, 25.01.2023, lot 113
    [Christie's New York, sales catalogue 25.01.2023, lot 113]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 147

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Croizat-Glazer 2007 103-104
AuthorYassana Croizat-Glazer
TitleLiving Dolls. François Ier Dresses His Women
JournalRenaissance Quarterly
IssueXL
Year of Publication2007
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 516-518 Fig. 217
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Schade 1974 102, 391 no 763
AuthorWerner Schade
TitleDie Malerfamilie Cranach
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1974
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/schade1974
Show Literature
Lilienfein 1942 97, 102
AuthorHeinrich Lilienfein
TitleLukas Cranach und seine Zeit
Place of PublicationBielefeld
Year of Publication1942
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937 53, 53 147 Pl. 112
EditorStaatliche Museen, Berlin
TitleLucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1937
Show Literature
Sponsel 1906 42 087 Fig. p. 43
AuthorJean Louis Sponsel
TitleFürsten-Bildnisse aus dem Hause Wettin
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1906
Show Literature
Flechsig 1900 A 288 161
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

1928 listed in the inventory of the family association 'Haus Wettin Albertinischer Linie', e.V.:

'Kurfürst Christian I. als vierjähriger Prinz - Geb. 29.10.1560, gest. 25.9.1591. - In rotsamtner Kleidung mit Goldschnuren, Pumphosen, rote Strümpfe und Schuhe, zilindrischer roter Hut ohne Krempe. Zweifache Halskette, rechte Hand an den Dolch gelegt.

Signiert: Mit der Schlange, 1564.'

  • Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4, 1564

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Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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