Agony in the Garden

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Materials:

- fluid, black medium and brush ; preliminary design with dark chalk?

Type/Ductus:

- detailed and freehand underdrawing, barely visible

- thin lines

Function:

- relatively binding for the final painted version; lines delineate contours and describe the essential details; no representation of volume

Deviations:

- minor alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; small changes (e.g. in the background: lances, houses on the far bank)

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- workshop?

[Smith, Sandner, Heydenreich, cda 2012]

- wooden panel consisting of three vertical planks, appears to be beech wood

- top from the left: 23.1/21.5/14 cm, bottom from the left: 23/22/13.5 cm

- the joins are covered with an application of fibrous material from the front

- on the reverse the remains of a rebate has been preserved along the top and bottom edges

- white ground

- there is a barbe along the top and the bottom c. 5-7 mm from the edge, barely visible

- the ground extends to the edge of the panel on the left and right sides (trimmed slightly)

- precise underdrawing with a pen (?)

- extensive fluid, grey underpaint, particularly visible under the flesh paint and in the sky

- Pentiment in the landscape in the background (a second town is visible in the infrared photograph, which was covered during the painting process and replaced by another town further away)

- the bluish grey paint of Christ’s robe was applied employing both strokes and a stippling technique

- the hair is skillfully drawn

- the halo around Christ’s head was executed in shell gold

- the barbe at the top and the bottom of the painting was covered with a black band of paint c. 5-7 mm in width

- rebate frame with a profile, 20th century

- reverse of the frame:

label: 'F. G. Conzen, No. 1724, Rahmenfabrik Düsseldorf'; written in pen: '1724', '2407'; in paint: '(19)“' label with inscription: 'Von diesem Bild 'Ölberg' von Lucas Cranach ist mir bekannt, dass es im Jahre 1937 durch einen rheinischen Sammler von der Kunsthandlung ABELS in Köln erworben wurde. Gez. Stuckert , 10.03.49'

- a further label with an illegible inscription and two further imprints from other labels

• the panel has been thinned and a cradle was attached to the reverse (14 x 14 battens)

• the right and left edges have been slightly trimmed

• isolated old woodworm channels are visible on the reverse of the panel

• the remains of a rebate is visible on the reverse along the top and bottom edges, which indicates that the panel was thinned to the level of the rebate

• the panel exhibits a slight convex warp (max. c. 5 mm)

• splits run from the top edge(23 cm from the left, 3 cm long, a loss in the paint layer; 13 cm from the right, 8 cm long, cracks in the paint layer; 10.5 cm from the right, c. 13 cm clearly visible) and the bottom edge (12 cm from the right., 2.5 cm long, with a small loss; 22 cm from the right, 2 cm long; in the bottom right corner, 5cm from the bottom)

• the surface has been partially abraded at some stage in the past, some old small losses, old discoloured retouches

• the frame exhibits slight knocks and inconspicuous scratches on all four sides

recording damage which occurred while the painting was on display

2006 (Restaurierungszentrum Düsseldorf)

• the support, the ground and the painted surface are in good and stable condition

• the support exhibits a slight convex warp (max. c. 5mm)

• there are splits running from the top edge (23 cm from the left, 3 cm long, a loss in the paint layer; 13 cm from the right, 8 cm long, cracks in the paint layer; 10.5 cm from the right, c. 13 cm clearly visible) and the bottom edge (12 cm from the right., 2.5 cm long, with a small loss; 22 cm from the right, 2 cm long; in the bottom right corner, 5cm from the bottom)

• the surface has been partially abraded at some stage in the past, some old small losses, old discoloured retouches

• the frame exhibits slight knocks and inconspicuous scratches on all four sides

• there is an obvious new loss on the right edge of the frame (7 cm from the bottom) (loss in the wood c. 16 x 4 mm).

There is no information about how this damage occurred

Treatment of climate-related damage

1998 (Restaurierungszentrum Düsseldorf)

Condition:

• flaking in the paint layers

• numerous areas covered with a facing of japanese paper

• the paper has been torn off in one area (here the is a small paint loss)

Treatment:

• the japanese paper was removed and the paint layers were consolidated with sturgeon glue (5%)

• partial application of a dammar varnish (6% in Shellsol K30) to compensate an uneven appearance of the varnish

• loss filled and retouched (chalk/sturgeon glue admixture, watercolours).