Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon

Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon

Title

Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon

[cda 2020]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Cat. Breslau 1926, 18, no. 161]

In this double portrait of the two Reformers Melanchthon (1497-1560) is shown at the right, wearing a fur trimmed cloak and holding a closed book in both hands, with the initials ‘A C’ on the cover. He turns to his right toward the posthumous image of Luther (1483 -1546) who

In this double portrait of the two Reformers Melanchthon (1497-1560) is shown at the right, wearing a fur trimmed cloak and holding a closed book in both hands, with the initials ‘A C’ on the cover. He turns to his right toward the posthumous image of Luther (1483 -1546) who is far larger in bulk, and shown facing to his left, wearing an academic gown and holding an open book (the Luther Bible?) with both hands. Both men are shown in half-length, hatless and in three quarter profile against a pale grey-blue wall. A green curtain has been drawn back on either side to reveal a window with a view of the landscape beyond. The composition is of extreme horizontal format. Beneath the figures there is a Latin inscription on the parapet.

[cda 2020]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[cda 2020]

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Breslau 1926, 18, no. 161]

Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Cat. Breslau 1886, 33, no. 161]

Production date
about 1558 - 1570

Production date

about 1558 - 1570

[cda 2020]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 37 x 56.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 37 x 56.5 cm

  • [Cat. Breslau 1926, 18, no. 161]

Inscriptions and Labels
  • on the cover of the book held by Melanchthon: 'A C'
  • at the bottom of the painting on the parapet:

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • on the cover of the book held by Melanchthon:

  • 'A C'

    • at the bottom of the painting on the parapet:

  • beneath the portrait of Luther the distich:

  • 'NATVS ES ISLEBII DIVINE PROPHETA LVTHERE, // RELLIGIO FVLGET, TE DVCE PAPA IACET.'

  • beneath the portrait of Melanchthon the distich:

  • 'IAPETI DE GENTE PRIOR MAIORVE LVTHERO // NEMO FVIT, TV PAR DOCTE MELANCHTHON ERAS'

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P468
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P468/

Provenance

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Cat. Breslau 1926 18 161
AuthorHeinz Braune, Erich Wiese
TitleKatalog der Gemälde und Skulpturen. Schlesisches Museum der Bildenden Künste Breslau. VI Auflage
Place of PublicationBreslau
Year of Publication1926
Show Literature
Cat. Breslau 1908 23 161
AuthorRobert Kahl
TitleSchlesisches Museum der Bildenden Künste zu Breslau. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis der Gemälde
Place of PublicationBreslau
Issue5th Edition
Year of Publication1908
Link https://sbc.org.pl//dlibra/metadatasearch?action=AdvancedSearchAction&type=-3&val1=Title:%22Beschreibendes+Verzeichnis+der+Gem%C3%A4lde.+Schlesisches+Museum+der+Bildenden+K%C3%BCnste+zu+Breslau.+%5C-+5.+Aufl%22
Show Literature
Cat. Breslau 1886 33 161
AuthorRobert Kahl
TitleSchlesisches Museum der Bildenden Künste zu Breslau. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis der Gemälde
Place of PublicationBreslau
Year of Publication1886
Show Literature
  • Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon, about 1558 - 1570

Images

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Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P468/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Double Portrait of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P468/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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