The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist

The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist

Title

The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist

[cda 2020]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Letter from Haboldt & Co., Paris to D. Koepplin, 14.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

This panel shows the infants Christ and St John the Baptist on a thin strip of pebbly ground against a black backdrop. Christ stands at the left, holding the cross and with his right hand he blesses St John who kneels before him. The serpent is coiled around the base

This panel shows the infants Christ and St John the Baptist on a thin strip of pebbly ground against a black backdrop. Christ stands at the left, holding the cross and with his right hand he blesses St John who kneels before him. The serpent is coiled around the base of the cross. Both boys have short blond curly hair and are wearing transparent tunics.

[cda 2020]

Attributions
Master HB (with a griffin's head)
Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Master HB (with a griffin's head)

[cda 2020]

Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Stylistically similar to the Master HB
[Letter from D. Koepplin to Haboldt & Co., Paris, 18.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

Production date
about 1540

Production date

about 1540

[Letter from D. Koepplin to Haboldt & Co., Paris, 18.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 49.5 x 32 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 49.5 x 32 cm

  • [Letter from Haboldt & Co., Paris to D. Koepplin, 14.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia does not appear to be genuine

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia does not appear to be genuine

  • [Letter from Haboldt & Co., Paris to D. Koepplin, 14.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions

  • at the top: '[...] FALSCHEM . KRISTEN . OTTER // [...]E SE S . DOBET . WI …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

  • Inscriptions

    • at the top:

  • '[...] FALSCHEM . KRISTEN . OTTER // [...]E SE S . DOBET . WI YR WOLT . SO IST // DENNOCH S ALLEIN . DER . HELT .DER IM // PARO S . WART . VORHEISEN WAS . WOLT // IR DE CEIN . AMPT BEMESSEN . MIT . // EW REM . FALSSEN . MESE . TAUNT // HUI EVCH . SEIN C? RM NIMPT // OBER HANT'

    • on the neckband of St john the Baptist's tunic:

  • 'ICH TAUFE MIT WASSER'

    • on the cross:

  • 'INRI'

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • On the reverse of the panel: - paper label, printed in black ink: 'Lucas Cranach der jüngere // stammt aus der berühmten // Privat Gallerie des verstorbenen // Domherrn Specht in München // 1846'

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P387
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P387/

Provenance

  • private collection of Canon Specht, Munich, 1846 (?)
  • probably with the mother of Professor Wittig, Munich
  • by descent to his daughter Georgette Wittig, Bergheim
  • with the Family Turckhein since c. 1960
  • 2011 Paris art market
    [Letter from Haboldt & Co., Paris to D. Koepplin, 14.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]
  • The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist, about 1540

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall

Condition Reports

Date2011

After conservation, it was decided not to remove a serpent device which seems to be a later addition.

Except for local losses due to woodworm, the painting is in a good state of conservaton.

[Letter from Haboldt & Co., Paris to D. Koepplin, 14.11.2011; Koepplin Archive]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P387/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Infants Christ and St John the Baptist', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P387/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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