Christ Blessing the Children

Christ Blessing the Children

Title

Christ Blessing the Children

[cda 2023]

Painting on canvas

Medium

Painting on canvas

[Heydenreich, unpublished examination report, 20.12.2007]

Christ stands in the centre of the image facing to the right, holding a child on his left arm. With his right hand he touches another child held by its mother. More women with their children are gathered around him. The ages of the children range from infants to small

Christ stands in the centre of the image facing to the right, holding a child on his left arm. With his right hand he touches another child held by its mother. More women with their children are gathered around him. The ages of the children range from infants to small children. A group of older, bearded men stand and watch the event unfold on the left side of the image. The group is set against a dark background.

[cda 2023]

Attributions
Copy after Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Elder and workshop

Attributions

Copy after Lucas Cranach the Elder

? [cda 2023] [Heydenreich, e-mail to Galerie Fischer Auktionen, 07.11.2009, see pdf Correspondence]

Lucas Cranach the Elder and workshop

? [Heydenreich 2007 A, 230] [Heydenreich, examination report 20.12.2007, see pdf Report 04] [Heydenreich, e-mail to Galerie Fischer Auktionen, 07.11.2009, see pdf Correspondence] [W. Schade, expertise, 06.05.2007; Koepplin Archive]

Lucas Cranach the Younger

could possibly be by Lucas Cranach (the Younger rather than the Elder) [Letter from D. Koepplin to the owner, 27.06.2007; Koepplin Archive]

Production dates
before 1750
about 1540 - 1545

Production dates

before 1750

[cda 2023]

about 1540 - 1545

[Heydenreich 2007 A, 230] [Heydenreich, Untersuchungsbericht 20.12.2007, siehe pdf Report 04] [Heydenreich, E-Mail an Galerie Fischer Auktionen, 07.11.2009, siehe pdf Correspondence]

about 1540

[Gianfranco Pocobene, Conservation Report, Sept. 2009] [Letter from D. Koepplin to the owner, 27.06.2007; Koepplin Archive]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 89.7 x 123 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 89.7 x 123 cm

  • [Heydenreich, unpublished examination report, 20.12.2007]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia after the inscription: winged serpent (fragmentary); in yellow paint (genuine?)

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia after the inscription: winged serpent (fragmentary); in yellow paint (genuine?)

Inscriptions and Labels
  • at the top: 'VNND SIE BRACHTEN KINDLEIN ZV IM DAS ER SIE ANRVRETE – MARC: AM ∙ X CAP …

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • at the top:

  • 'VNND SIE BRACHTEN KINDLEIN ZV IM DAS ER SIE ANRVRETE – MARC: AM ∙ X CAP ∙'

  • (And they took children to him, that he touched them. Mark, 10); in yellow paint

Owner
Private Collection
Repository
Private Collection
CDA ID
PRIVATE_NONE-P603
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P603/

Provenance

  • Private collection, USA [1]
  • Fischer Galerie, Lucerne [2]
    [1][Letter from D. Koepplin to the owner, 27.06.2007; Koepplin Archive]
    [2][Email correspondance G. Heydenreich and K. Fischer, 07.11.2009]

Research History / Discussion

Two further examples, both of the same dimensions are known: [DE_SAA_NONE-SAA001] with a slight variation in the inscription, and [CH_KMW_62], which is near to identicial barring the '-' between IM and DAS and the position of the insignia.

[cda 2023]

  • Christ Blessing the Children, before 1750

Images

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Documents

Technical studies

20.12.2007Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Stereomicroscopy
  • X-radiography
  • Infrared reflectography
  • Instrumental material analysis
  • Micro-sampling / cross-sections

METHODS OF EXAMINATION AND ANALYSIS

- Examination of the painting's surface with a stereo microscope

- X-ray analysis (Straus Center for Conservation)

- Infrared-Reflectography (Straus Center for Conservation)

- X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) at seventeen locations (Straus Center for Conservation)

- Preparation of six cross-sections of paint samples and photographic documentation (examination of samples 1 and 2 by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). (Straus Center for Conservation)

- Carbon-14 analyses (University of Georgia)

See pdf for complete report

[Heydenreich, unpublished examination report, 20.12.2007]

11.07.2006Scientific analysis

Material/ Technique

The painting was examined at the Straus Center for Conservation at Harvard University employing the following methods:

Paint layers: x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, cross-sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), polarized light microscopy (PLM).

Canvas support: Carbon-14 analysis.

See the associated pdf for a complete report.

Conservation History

Date2009

Conservation treatment by Gianfranco Pocobene, 2009.

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P603/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Christ Blessing the Children', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P603/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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