The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins

The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins

Title

The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins

[Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

This panel of inventive design and highly original format, depicts the martyrdom of Saint Ursula – a legendary saint who, with eleven thousand maiden companions, was massacred by the barbarian Huns at Cologne upon returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, at an unknown date early in the Christian era. St

This panel of inventive design and highly original format, depicts the martyrdom of Saint Ursula – a legendary saint who, with eleven thousand maiden companions, was massacred by the barbarian Huns at Cologne upon returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, at an unknown date early in the Christian era. St Ursula’s boat has landed, the Huns enter the scene from the left. The ship’s gangplank has been extended and some soldiers are already on board. One has grabbed Usula’s hair and is poised with his sword raised to behead her. The massacre has begun, with two of her attendants already lying on the shore in front of the boat. Pope Ciriacus is present at the end of the ship accompanied by a bishop. Below them on the shore a soldier armed with a bow and arrow prepares to take aim.

[cda 2022]

Attribution
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

or circle? [Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

Production date
about 1515

Production date

about 1515

[Sandner, Meyer, Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 48 x 63 cm (bilobate shaped top)

Dimensions

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P532
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P532/

Provenance

  • Freiherr Bernhard von Hornstein, born 1761, who was married to Theresia Countess Preysing zu Alten-Preysing (1765–1804)
  • his estate and pictures, including the present lot, were sold in 1828 to a South German noble family
  • thence by descent
  • sold at Sotheby's, London, 10.12.2020, lot 1
    [Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

Research History / Discussion

Another painting depicting 'The Descent into Purgatory', also on an unusually-shaped panel of identical dimensions, has long been considered as a pendant to the present work [PRIVATE_NONE-P239]. Both pictures, executed by a contemporary of Lucas Cranach the Elder, may have formed part of a wider cycle […]

Ludwig Meyer connected both these panels with the anonymous author of two altarpiece wings in the Schloßkirche in Chemnitz, depicting 'The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand Christians' and 'The Preaching of a Pope', [DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC003]; and [DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC004] as well as a panel in the same church depicting The Martyrdom of Saint James, which is also of a curious and comparable, though not identical, arched form [DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC001]. Further panels in the same church, likewise with rounded tops, depicting 'The Virgin in Heaven with Saints and The Trinity', [DE_PSKC_NONE-PSKC002] are likely to be by the same hand.

Ingo Sandner [Sandner 1993, 174] considers the first three pictures (and by extension The Descent into Purgatory and the present work) to have been executed by an independent pupil of Cranach, circa 1515. Meyer concurs with a dating of 1515, but thinks it unlikely that this anonymous Cranach follower could have been an independent master at this early date.

[Sotheby's online database, accessed 03.05.2022]

  • The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins, about 1515

Images

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Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P532/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P532/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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