Portrait of Georg Spalatin

Portrait of Georg Spalatin

Title

Portrait of Georg Spalatin

[CDA 2011]

Painting on wood, transferred to canvas

Medium

Painting on wood, transferred to canvas

[Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

Half-length portrait of the theologist and humanist Georg Burckhardt from Spalt near Nuremberg, called Spalatin (1484-1545). He was one of the most influential personalities of the Saxon court.

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

Production date
1509

Production date

1509

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 33 x 28.5 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 33 x 28.5 cm

  • [Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

  • Dimensions of support: 36.4 x 31 x 2.2 cm

  • dimensions including frame: 47 x 42 x 3.7 cm

  • [Museum der bildenden Künste, revised 31.03.2014]

Signature / Dating

None

Inscriptions and Labels
  • top left:
    'ANNO ETATIS 26'

  • top right: 'ANNO DOMINI 1509'

Inscriptions and Labels

Inscriptions, Badges:

    • top left:
  • 'ANNO ETATIS 26'

    • top right:
  • 'ANNO DOMINI 1509'

Owner
Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
Repository
Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
Location
Leipzig
CDA ID
DE_MdbKL_3046
FR (1978) Nr.
FR024
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_3046/

Provenance

  • Baronin von Lipperheide Collection, Berlin

  • Munich, auction (Helbig), 25. Feb. 1933
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1978, 73, No. 24]

  • 1994 Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig, acquired at an auction in the auction house Hugo Ruef, Munich
    [Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

Exhibitions

Kronach 1994, No. 202

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Hopf 2012 56 Fig. p. 56
AuthorU. Hopf
TitleBurg Grimmenstein zu Gotha
Place of PublicationGotha
Year of Publication2012
Hofbauer 2008 7 Fig. p. 7
AuthorMichael Hofbauer
TitleEin neues Porträt von Lucas Cranach d. Ä.
Place of PublicationHeidelberg
Year of Publication2008
Busch, Kruse 1997
AuthorR. Busch, J. M. Kruse
TitleDie ehemalige Bibliothek Otto I. und Philipp Melanchthon
Place of PublicationHamburg
Year of Publication1997
Höß 1996
AuthorIrmgard Höß
TitleDas Jugendbildnis Georg Spalatins von Lucas Cranach d.Ä. 1509
JournalArchiv für Reformationsgeschichte
Issue87
Year of Publication1996
Pages401-404
Bott 1995 347
AuthorG. C. Bott
TitleCranach gezeigt. Cranach-Ausstellung in Kronach und Leipzig
JournalMitteldeutsches Jahrbuch für Kultur und Geschichte
Place of PublicationWeimar, Cologne, Vienna
Issue2
Year of Publication1995
Exhib. Cat. Bonn 1994 35
EditorHerwig Guratzsch, Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig
TitleVon Lucas Cranach bis Caspar David Friedrich [Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn]
Place of PublicationStuttgart
Year of Publication1994
Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994 372, 373 202 Fig. 202
EditorClaus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhoff
TitleLucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmer aus Franken [Festung Rosenberg, Kronach 17.05 - 21.08.1994; Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig 07.09 - 06.11.1994]
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Coburg
Year of Publication1994
Sander 1994
AuthorD. Sander
TitleKunstwerk des Monats November
JournalFaltblatt. Museum der bildenden Künste
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1994
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 73 No. 24 Fig. 24
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Sander 1950
AuthorHjalmar Sander
TitleZur Identifizierung zweier Bildnisse von Lucas Cranach d. Ä.
JournalZeitschrift für Kunstwissenschaft
Issue4
Year of Publication1950
Pages35-48
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 23
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication1932
Link http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/friedlaender1932
Friedländer 1916 131
AuthorMax J. Friedländer
TitleEin neu erworbenes Portrait Cranachs
JournalAmtliche Berichte aus den Preuszischen Kunstsammlungen
Issue37
Year of Publication1916
Pagescol. 129-135
Friedländer 1911 26
AuthorMax J. Friedländer
TitleCranachs Katharinen-Altar von 1506
JournalZeitschrift für bildende Kunst
IssueN.F. 22=46.1911
Year of Publication1911
Pages25-27
  • Portrait of Georg Spalatin, 1509

Images

Compare images
  • overall
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  • overall
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  • reverse
  • reverse
  • reverse
  • irr
  • uv_light
  • detail
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  • detail
  • detail
  • other
  • other
  • other

Technical studies

11.06.2014Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • Stereomicroscopy

Support

- the wood species can no longer be established

- original size of the wooden panel: c. 33 x 28 cm

Ground and Imprimatura

- white, probably chalk/glue, not tested

- compact, relatively thick ground

- the original edges of the panel have not been preserved

- an imprimatura could not be detected

Underdrawing

- faint underdrawing lines visible only in the eyes (not visible to the naked eye)

- no alterations; the painted contours follow the underdrawing

Paint Layers and Gilding

- black underpaint in the background, cool brown beneath the collar, the hair was laid in with a brown wash (visible under the stereomicrope)

- the economic underdrawing was followed by a brown wash (hair, background and dark sections of the clothing). The flesh paint and the grey robe were left in reserve. The deep shadows of the flesh paint were also laid in with a brown wash (e.g. neck)

- brushstrokes, glazes

- the brush type is difficult to establish; the hair was executed with the typical fine pointed brush

Framing

- not original, plate frame (copy, 1995)

- dimensions: 47 x 42 x 3 cm

- oak

- narrow plate frame. Joins:mitred at the front, overlapping on the reverse, Colour: natural oak, patina, bare wood, waxed

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • examined by Rüdiger Beck

09. 2012Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • UV-light photography
  • uv_light
  • photographed by Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig

06. 2010Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

- an undedrawing is not visible

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Condition Reports

Date11.06.2014

  • the painting is in rather bad condition: only 50% of the original material is preserved

Support:

  • transferred from wood to canvas, the format was enlarged by c. 1 to 2 cm. The original painted surface measures c. 33 x 28 cm. A considerable number of the losses probably occurred when the painting was transferred. Marks from the lining canvas are clearly visible in raking light.

  • wavy deformation along the left and right edges of the painting parallel to the nails in the stretcher, running horizontally c. 3.5 cm into the picture plane

Ground/Paint Layers:

  • The remains of the original paint layers exhibit the grid-like cracquelée typical of wooden panels. Under the stereomicroscope abrasion down to the ground is visible along the edges of the cracquelée. There are numerous very small to larger paint losses scattered over the entire painted surface, these have been repeatedly filled and retouched. The original paint layers exhibit deformations and are generally very abraded, particularly in the glazes and the brown tones. The entire surface is extensively retouched and the background was probably glazed over.

  • recent retouches are beneath the last varnish layer, see UV

  • four large, retouched losses: at the left in the background, at the height of the face, in the neck, at the bottom centre in the grey robe and at the left beneath the left shoulder

Varnish:

  • the varnish dates back to 1994/95

  • limited amount of inactive woodworm in the frame

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • examined by Rüdiger Beck

Date1995

  • transferred from wood to canvas

  • the paint layers are very damaged and retouched

[Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

Conservation History

Date30.06.1995

  • treatment report in the painting file, MdbK

[Museum der bildenden Künste, 11.06.2014]

  • conservation treatment by Heinrich Jakob

Date1993 - 1994

Restored for the exhibition in Kronach

[Guratzsch, Cat. Leipzig 1995, 35]

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Georg Spalatin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_3046/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Georg Spalatin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_MdbKL_3046/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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