St Stephen, King of Hungary

St Stephen, King of Hungary

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

Medium

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

[Klein, Report 2013]
[Löcher, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 128]

The panel was originally the left wing of an altarpiece. It depicts a full-length figure standing on stony ground against a black background. The monarch has a halo, his eyes, hair and beard are brown. He wears a gold brocaded overcoat down to his ankles with a wide collar and

The panel was originally the left wing of an altarpiece. It depicts a full-length figure standing on stony ground against a black background. The monarch has a halo, his eyes, hair and beard are brown. He wears a gold brocaded overcoat down to his ankles with a wide collar and slashed sleeves and has a hoop crown on his head. He holds a sword and an orb and has a chain around his neck. Rays extend from the halo. At the top of the panel there are two decorative elements containing fruit.

[http://forschung .gnm.de/apps/dmsweb"/index. Php?mode=detail&invnr=Gm 1666] (06.09.2010)

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[attribution by Ernst Buchner according to an entry on the index card in the GNM by Peter Strieder]
[Löcher, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 128]

Production date
about 1510

Production date

about 1510

[Löcher, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 128]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 101 x 30.2 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 101 x 30.2 cm

  • Dimensions of frame: 111.5 x 39.5 x 3.8 cm (with hooks 5.5 cm)

  • [http://forschung.gnm.de/apps/dmsweb"/index. Php?mode=detail&invnr=Gm 1666] (06.09.2010)

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels

On the cradle: in pencil 'Dr. Bremen'; in blue pen 'Nr. 3118'; in white paint 'Gm. 1666'

Reverse of the …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

  • On the cradle: in pencil 'Dr. Bremen'; in blue pen 'Nr. 3118'; in white paint 'Gm. 1666'

  • Reverse of the frame:

    • top right:
  • in black feltpen 'Gm 1666'

  • [Löcher, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 128]

Owner
Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
Repository
Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
Location
Nuremberg
CDA ID
DE_GNMN_Gm1666
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_GNMN_Gm1666/

Provenance

  • 1967 acquired from a private collection (Dr. Walter Bremen, Krefeld)
    [Löcher, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 128]

Exhibitions

Passau 2001
Frankfurt 2007, No. 53

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Müller 2010 65 Fig. 7
AuthorMatthias Müller
Title"Menschen so zu malen, daß sie erkannt werden und zu leben scheinen" Naturnachahmung als Problem in Lucas Cranachs höfischer Porträtmalerei
Publicationin Matthias Müller, ed., Apelles am Fürstenhof. Facetten der Hofkunst um 1500 im Alten Reich Exhib. Cat. Coburg 2010
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2010
Pages57-73
Exhib. Cat. Frankfurt 2007 224-225 53 p. 225
EditorBodo Brinkmann
TitleCranach der Ältere, [Frankfurt, Städel Museum, 23 Nov 2007 - 17 Feb 2008]
Place of PublicationOstfildern
Year of Publication2007
Heydenreich 2007 A 170
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleLucas Cranach the Elder
Place of PublicationAmsterdam
Year of Publication2007
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/6116/2097/3099/Heydenreich_2007_Lucas_Cranach_the_Elder.pdf
Exhib. Cat. Passau 2001
Authorn. a.
TitleKreuz und Krone. 1000 Jahre Bayern und Ungarn
Place of Publication[Passau]
Year of Publication2001
Cat. Nuremberg 1997 128-130
AuthorKurt Löcher
TitleDie Gemälde des 16. Jahrhunderts. Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg
Place of PublicationOstfildern-Ruit
Year of Publication1997
  • St Stephen, King of Hungary, about 1510

Images

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Technical studies

08.04.2013Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology

Support

Identification of wood species: limewood (Tilia sp.)

  • analysed by Peter Klein

09. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid black pigmented medium, brush

Type/Ductus:

- freehand underdrawing

- long broad lines in combination with shorter thin line

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the essential shapes, forms and spaces and describe the facial features; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- numerous alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

2007Technical Examination

Ground and Imprimatura

'When the imprimatura was applied to the panel with St Stephen, King of Hungary (c.1511) the paint clearly ran, indicating the use of additional binding medium or diluents.[290]'

[Heydenreich 2007 A, 170]

1997Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Identification of wood species / Dendrochronology
  • Infrared reflectography
  • Stereomicroscopy
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • detail
  • reverse

Support

- limewood (Tilia sp.)

- 2 boards

- widths from the left, top: 6.6, 23.2 cm, bottom: 5.9, 23.9 cm. (Examination report written by Birgit Hölzer 11.03.1991)

- thinned to a thickness of c. 0.1 cm

- original size

Ground and Imprimatura

- the panel was framed before the ground was applied and during the painting process

Underdrawing

- executed with a brush

- the contours and main lines within the shapes are indicated, more extensively in the face, the sweeping lines along the bridge of the nose are like veins, so that the underdrawing appears to be ambiguous here

- a rectangle, which cuts through the top half of the orb is like the handle of a sword

Paint Layers and Gilding

- the flesh paint is worked up in thin glazes

- the collar of the robe, which was originally light blue is dulled with a brown glaze

- the black background is painted over a layer of red earth paint

- there is oil gilding on the crown, the orb, the sword and in the background

- the adhesive is a transparent light brown

- there is a black glaze over the background

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 129]

1995Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Micro-sampling / cross-sections
  • Instrumental material analysis

Cross-section microscopy; incident light; UV light; EDX:

Cross-section No.: EP 069

Brief description of paint: Gilding, brocade robe

Sample location: left edge, Gold robe

Sample No.: 069

Microscopy in incident light: yes

Microscopy in UV light: yes

EDX: yes

Observations:

3. black layer: very fine black (lamp black) [EDX: Ca, Pb, Si, K, Fe, Al, no phosphorus; lamp black with calcium salt, silicium, lead white and some iron oxide?]

Decorative elements

2. Gold, thickness up to c. 1500 nm (rough measurement)

1. transparent reddish brown layer, adhesive

0. orange red layer with vermillion and white as well as glassy pigments, presumably the imprimatura as the ground is lacking [EDX: Pb: lead white, vermillion]

[Heydenreich 1995, unpublished examination report]

  • written by Gunnar Heydenreich

1991 - 1997Scientific analysis

  • Micro-sampling / cross-sections
  • Instrumental material analysis

Histochemical test:

Red earth paint under the black background: a histochemical test was carried out by Bernd Hering, GNM, 1991

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 130]

  • examined by Bernd Hering

Condition Reports

Date1997

Support:

  • the panel has been laminated onto a lime wood board (0.5 cm thick)

  • there are splits in the support at the top and bottom

  • a cradle was attached to the reverse

  • uneven areas in the wood have been evened out with canvas

Painted surface:

  • it has been slightly overcleaned in the shadows of the flesh paint

  • the gilded coat is slightly abraded in the chest area, the gold has partially been replaced

  • a Dürermonogramm 'AD' was stamped into the background at a later stage, and presumably covered with a black glaze

[Bartl, Cat. Nuremberg 1997, 129]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'St Stephen, King of Hungary', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_GNMN_Gm1666/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'St Stephen, King of Hungary', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_GNMN_Gm1666/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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