The Virgin and Child

Title

The Virgin and Child

[cda 2022]

Painting on oak

Medium

Painting on oak

[Email correspondence from Sotheby's, London, 03.01.2020]

The Virgin and Child are shown in a reflective mood. Mary is seated on the edge of a wooden frame, holding the nude infant on her lap with an open book beside her. Christ holds up a green parrot that is perched on his right hand and appears to be pecking his finger. Possibly alluding to his future sacrifice. Just as the tree to their right may be a reference to the wood of the cross. Above them two angels play musical instruments in the sky, while behind them the landscape spreads out past a half-timbered house on the right and across to a walled fortress at the far left. A jug filled with carnations occupies the bottom left corner of the pebbly, arid foreground.

[cda 2022]

Attributions: Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder
Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder	or Circle [Heydenreich, cda 2020]
Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder	or Follower [Heydenreich, cda 2020]

Production date: after 1512

Production date

after 1512

[cda 2022]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: no information available

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: no information available

Signature / Dating: none

Inscriptions and Labels: none On the reverse of the panel: - top centre, stencilled in white paint: '116'

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

none

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

On the reverse of the panel: - top centre, stencilled in white paint: '116'

Owner: Private Collection
Repository: Private Collection

CDA ID: PRIVATE_NONE-P580
FR (1978) Nr.: FR-none
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P580/

Provenance

2020, London art market
[Email correspondence from Sotheby's, London, 03.01.2020]

Research History / Discussion

Appears to vaguely refer to engravings of the subject by Dürer.

[Email correspondence from Sotheby's, London, 03.01.2020]

The Virgin and Child, after 1512

Images

Technical studies

2020Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Infrared reflectography

Underdrawing

2020Technical examination / Scientific analysis

Dendrochronology / identification of wood species

Support

It was not possible to carry out dendrochronology on the wood; it is too open grained so there simply aren’t enough year rings to measure. It is very poor quality, tangentially cut, oak. The panel is made from four boards that taper wildly. There is much sapwood either side of each board. The pigeon tendons are really interesting and could be bone/tendons.

[Email correspondence from Sotheby's, London, 03.01.2020]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author: <author's name>, 'The Virgin and Child', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P580/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author: 'The Virgin and Child', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P580/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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