Eve

- beech wood panel composed of two planks with vertical grain joined at 25.7 cm from the left at the bottom edge

- the panel is 1.2 cm thick

- dendrochronological analysis indicates that both boards came from the same tree; for each plank, the youngest heartwood ring dates from 1531; 1532 would be the date of earliest possible use.[1] However, the origin of the planks for 'Adam' in a slightly younger tree should be taken into account. On the reverse, the join is covered with a wide band of coarse, matted fibers. The edges of the panel have been rabbeted on the back, forming a channel approximately 5 mm deep on all sides; at the top and bottom, the edges of this channel have been undercut at a slight angle. Adze marks are visible on the roughly finished back, which is covered with black pigment, varnish and wax

[1]Report by Peter Klein, June 28, 1999. On the dating of beech panels see Technical note for US_artic_1935-295. For Cranach's use of beech supports, see [Klein 1994, 194-100]

- cross-section analysis showed that the panel was prepared with a white chalk ground; there was no clear evidence of a priming layer, both in both this painting and 'Adam', a medium-rich isolating layer was detected; ground and paint layers extend to the edges of the panel at the sides; at the top and bottom edges, approximately 9 mm of wood is uncoated; the raised barbe here may have resulted from a clamping system used to hold the panel during the painting process

No obvious underdrawing was detected with infrared reflectography. However, traces of red-chalk underdrawing, apparently providing a broad indication of the initial composition, are visible with magnification under the chin, on the left side of the rib cage, on the lower part of the right leg, and in the head of the stag.[1] The red chalk line for the stag's jaw is readily visible to the unaided eye through the thin paint layers. In addition, fluid greyish black lines establishing the contour of the figure are evident in several areas inside the painted contour of the flesh area. Thin translucent washes of paint laying in the figure overlap these lines. In some areas, The contour is selectively reinforced with a final fluid line of brownish black paint over the flesh, for example under the chin, on the inside of the forearm, and on the left shoulder.

[1]For this type of underdrawing as characteristic of Cranach see [Billinge et al. 1997, 29]

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]

• uncradled

• a vertical crack extends 3.5 cm from the centre of the top edge

• the lower left corner is slightly weakened by beetle damage that also extends across the bottom edge, where there is a fairly substantial paint loss; this includes an area of damage measuring 4.5 x 2.2 cm in the large rock

• losses along the bottom edge and a smaller isolated loss (approximately 1.5 x 0.1 cm) located below the left knee, as well as other small losses in the centre of the sky and at the upper part of the right edge, have been filled and inpainted

• there are several small spots of inpainting scattered on the forehead, left shoulder, both forearms, left leg, both feet, the stag, in the foliage at the right, and along the left and right edges

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]

• grime cleaned

[Cat. Chicago 2008, 345, 348]