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

Title

[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

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 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 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/

Provenance

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]

Exhibitions

Berlin 1937, no. 147

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Exhib. Cat. Berlin 1937

53, 53

147

Pl. 112

Editor	Staatliche Museen, Berlin
Title	Lucas Cranach d. Ä. und Lucas Cranach d. J. Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Graphik
Place of Publication	Berlin
Year of Publication	1937

Show Literature

Sponsel 1906

087

Fig. p. 43

Author	Jean Louis Sponsel
Title	Fürsten-Bildnisse aus dem Hause Wettin
Place of Publication	Dresden
Year of Publication	1906

Show Literature

Flechsig 1900 A

288

161

Author	Eduard Flechsig
Title	Cranachstudien
Volume	1
Place of Publication	Leipzig
Year of Publication	1900
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.'

Connected Works

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

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P385/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'Portrait of Prince Christian I, son of Elector August, as a child at the age of 4', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P385/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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