The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin

The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin

Title

The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin

[cda 2015]

Painting on limewood

Medium

Painting on limewood

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 159, No. SUP1D]

On the central panel St John gives the dying Virgin a lighted candle. The apostles have come running from the four corners of the earth, encircle the deathbed and read prayers for the dead. Above this scene at the top right Christ receives his mother in heaven - a premonition

On the central panel St John gives the dying Virgin a lighted candle. The apostles have come running from the four corners of the earth, encircle the deathbed and read prayers for the dead. Above this scene at the top right Christ receives his mother in heaven - a premonition of the ascension of the Virgin and a rare addition for Saxony.

[see Sandner 1993, 302]

Attributions
Master of the Pflock Altarpiece
Pseudo- Matthias Grünewald

Attributions

Master of the Pflock Altarpiece

[Emmendörfer 1998, 219]
[Sandner 1993, 242]

Pseudo- Matthias Grünewald

'galt lange Zeit als ein Werk des sog. Pseudo-Grünewald'
[Emmendörfer 1998, 219; No. 22.14]

Production dates
about 1523
about 1520

Production dates

about 1523

[Emmendörfer 1998, 219]
[Sandner 1993, 242]

about 1520

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 159, No. SUP1D]

Dimensions
Dimensions of painted surface: 172 x 122 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of painted surface: 172 x 122 cm

  • Dimensions including frame: 195 x 145.5 x 6 cm

  • [Heydenreich, cda 2015]

Signature / Dating

None

Owner
Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Annaberg-Buchholz
Repository
St. Annenkirche, Annaberg-Buchholz
Location
Annaberg-Buchholz
CDA ID
DE_SAKA_SAKA001a
FR (1978) Nr.
FRSup001D
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SAKA_SAKA001a/

Provenance

  • after the death of Lorenz Pflock in 1521 the donation of an altarpiece followed, evidently according to his bequest, and its installation was recorded in 1523. This altarpiece is the Pflock family altarpiece, which is still located in its original position.
    [Sandner 1993, 306]

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Heydenreich 2021 A 49
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich
TitleHans Kemmer: Spuren künstlerischer Gestaltungsprozesse. Teil I: Lübeck
Publicationin Dagmar Täube, ed., Lucas Cranach der Ältere und Hans Kemmer. Meistermaler zwischen Renaissance und Reformation [Lübeck, St. Annen-Museum]
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2021
Pages49-57
Show Literature
Emmendörffer 1998 219 Fig. 22.14
AuthorChristoph Emmendörffer
TitleDie selbständigen Cranachschüler
Publicationin Ingo Sandner, Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach and Fachhochschule Köln, eds., Unsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Eisenach
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages203-228
Show Literature
Sandner 1998 B 90
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleCranach als Zeichner auf dem Malgrund
Publicationin Ingo Sandner, Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach and Fachhochschule Köln, eds., Unsichtbare Meisterzeichnungen auf dem Malgrund. Cranach und seine Zeitgenossen, Exhib. Cat. Eisenach
Place of PublicationRegensburg
Year of Publication1998
Pages83-95
Show Literature
Sandner 1993 242, 302,306 Plate 78-81
AuthorIngo Sandner
TitleSpätgotische Tafelmalerei in Sachsen
Place of PublicationDresden, Basel
Year of Publication1993
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 159 No. SUP1D
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Show Literature
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 353
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
Show Literature
Flechsig 1900 A Pl. 71-73
AuthorEduard Flechsig
TitleCranachstudien
Volume1
Place of PublicationLeipzig
Year of Publication1900
Link page/n5/mode/2up
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Dresden 1899 Cat.-No. 139
EditorKarl Woermann
TitleDeutsche Kunstausstellung Dresden 1899. Abteilung Cranach-Ausstellung. Wissenschaftliches Verzeichnis der ausgestellten Werke
Place of PublicationDresden
Year of Publication1899
Link http://resolver.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/SBB00002A2400000000
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

'The master [at work here] was an apprentice in the Cranach workshop, whose individual style appears to be disernable in the Cranach workshop at a relatively early stage, as early as the second decade.

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 159, No. SUP1D]

Connected Works

The Pflock Altarpiece [left wing]: St Valentine [recto], St Barbara [verso]
  • The Pflock Altarpiece [left wing]: St Valentine [recto], St Barbara [verso], about 1523
  • DE_SAKA_SAKA001b
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Annaberg-Buchholz
The Pflock Altarpiece [right wing]: St Sebaldus [recto], St Dorothy [verso]
  • The Pflock Altarpiece [right wing]: St Sebaldus [recto], St Dorothy [verso], about 1523
  • DE_SAKA_SAKA001c
  • Painting
  • Ev.-Luth. Kirchgemeinde Annaberg-Buchholz
  • The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin, about 1523

Images

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Technical studies

03. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- fluid black medium, brush; an initial design was probably executed employing a very dilute medium

Type/Ductus:

- very detailed freehand underdrawing

- thin to broader and frequently very long lines; occasional hatching-strokes

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define essential details and facial features; representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define forms; some changes (e. g. the face of the male donor on the left)

INTERPRETATION

Zuschreibung:

- Master of the Pflock Altar

Comments:

- probably after a pre-existing design

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • photographed by Ingo Sandner
  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich

2015Technical Examination

  • overall
  • overall

Support

- the panel consists of vertically aligned boards

- the joins are in part cover with an application of tow

Framing

- original frame

[Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • examined by Gunnar Heydenreich

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SAKA_SAKA001a/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'The Pflock Altarpiece [central panel]: the Death of the Virgin', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SAKA_SAKA001a/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

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