The Feeding of the Five Thousand

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Title

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

[cda 2017]

Painting on wood (lime wood)

Medium

Painting on wood (lime wood)

[Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]

lime wood

[Klein report, 02.06.1998]

When they heard of Christ's miracles thousands followed the Messiah and his disciples. Christ was anxious to provide food for the crowd, but the disciples could only bring him a boy who had five fish and three loaves to sell. Thereupon Christ said the prayer of thanksgiving and the loaves

When they heard of Christ's miracles thousands followed the Messiah and his disciples. Christ was anxious to provide food for the crowd, but the disciples could only bring him a boy who had five fish and three loaves to sell. Thereupon Christ said the prayer of thanksgiving and the loaves and fishes were enough to satisfy everyone. This multiplication of the loaves and fishes is traditionally interpreted as a prefiguration of the Eucharist. Cranach arranged the heads of the onlookers along the diagonal axis of the painting. As such he followed a concept that he had already employed in 'The Sermon of St John the Baptist' from 1516, a vertical format woodcut that is related in content. The apostles have taken the boy in their midst and he looks up in amazement at Christ blessing. [Görres, Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]

Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder (and Workshop)
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder (and Workshop)

[Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]
'Werkstattbeteiligung kommt in Betracht' [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 143-144, No. 366F]

Lucas Cranach the Younger

'Autorschaft L. Cranach d.J. kommt in Betracht'
[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 143-144, No. 366F]

Production date
about 1535-1540

Production date

about 1535-1540

[Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 80 x 120 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 80 x 120 cm

  • [Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Repository
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Location
Stockholm
CDA ID
SE_NMS_Grh2335
FR (1978) Nr.
FR366F
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/SE_NMS_Grh2335/

Exhibitions

Düsseldorf 2017, No. 113

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017 207 No. 113
EditorGunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer
TitleLucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [anlässlich der Ausstellung "Cranach. Meister - Marke - Moderne", Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, 08. April 2017 - 30. Juli 2017]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2017
Show Literature
Görres 2017 B 49 113
AuthorDaniel Görres
TitleDer Mönch und der Maler - Luther und Cranach als Vermittler eines neuen Glaubens
Publicationin Gunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres, Beat Wismer, eds., Lucas Cranach der Ältere. Meister - Marke - Moderne. [Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2017
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/4016/7870/1696/Goerres_2017_Der_Moench_und_der_Maler.pdf
Pages44-51
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 143-144 No. 366F
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

This depiction of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes has not received enough attention as a subject-matter in research on the art of the Reformation. […]

Luther saw in the pure, immediate faith of a child the ideal for the faithful, which Cranach adopted as his guiding principle for his compositions of Christ Blessing the Children and Caritas. Although all gospels record the miracle Cranach chose, not by chance, John 6, 1-15 the only biblical reference where the boy is mentioned as bringing the food. This interpretation corresponds with the presence among the crowd of many children, some playing with their mothers or being breast fed.

[Görres, Exhib. Cat. Düsseldorf 2017, 207, No. 113]

  • The Feeding of the Five Thousand, about 1535-1540

Images

Compare images
  • overall
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Documents

Technical studies

2017Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

An underdrawing is not readily visible, but where the painted lines diverge from the underdrawing thin line are discernible (e. g. in the face of the woman wearing a blue dress in the foreground; in the face of the child on her knee); minor correction were also made during the painting process. There is probably a careful underdrawing with a stylus.

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2018]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

02.06.1998Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronolo

Support

Identification of wood species: lime

[Klein Report, 02.06.1998]

  • analysed by Peter Klein

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Feeding of the Five Thousand', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/SE_NMS_Grh2335/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Feeding of the Five Thousand', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/SE_NMS_Grh2335/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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