Portrait of Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony

This painting is related to the signed and dated first version from 1526 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, now in Weimar [DE_KSW_G11], together with the pendant depicting Sibylle von Cleve [DE_KSW_G12]. Ingo Sandner mentions two other workshop versions - one of similar dimensions in a private collection (56.3 x 37 cm.) [PRIVATE_NONE-P342] and a smaller one in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow (36 x 24 cm), dated ‘1528 [RU_SMBKPM_922]. He suggests that the initial version by Cranach may have already left the workshop, by the time this painting was executed and therefore it may be based on a drawing by the master.

[Sotheby's online catalogue, accessed 22.09.2022]

The panel has a red ground. To date a dark red ground has not been identified on any painting firmly attributed to Cranach and his workshop and is in fact more commonly found on paintings from the 17th and 18th century.

The signature and date were executed using ochre rather than lead tin yellow, which is not typical of paintings from the Cranach workshop. The shape of the signature and the date do not correspond with those found on other works from the Cranach workshop. Smalt has as yet only been identified on paintings from the Cranach workshop created after 1540.

[cda 2022]