The Scourging of Christ

The Scourging of Christ

Title

The Scourging of Christ

[Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 371]

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

Medium

Painting on limewood (Tilia sp.)

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

The flagellation, which takes place in the house of Pilate, the roman procurator, is canonical. The composition of this painting is determined by the contrast between the four henchmen in contemporary dress who with faces distorted by their grimaces beat Christ with a wide sweeping motion and the humiliated, suffering

The flagellation, which takes place in the house of Pilate, the roman procurator, is canonical. The composition of this painting is determined by the contrast between the four henchmen in contemporary dress who with faces distorted by their grimaces beat Christ with a wide sweeping motion and the humiliated, suffering figure of Christ bound to the column. His slightly bent body covered in bleeding wounds and his face expressing sufferance are turned towards the viewer in an almost frontal pose, which achieves a particular immediacy. The henchmen sitting in the foreground prepares the crown of thorns later worn by Christ.

[see Elke A. Werner, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 215, No. IV.16]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Elder

[Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Production date
1537

Production date

1537

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 149 x 112.6 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 149 x 112.6 cm

  • [Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten, Berlin - Brandenburg, revised 2011]

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia in the middle of the lower edge: winged serpent (with dropped wings) and date '1537'

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia in the middle of the lower edge: winged serpent (with dropped wings) and date '1537'

Owner
Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
Repository
Grunewald hunting lodge
Location
Grunewald
CDA ID
DE_SPSG_GKI2270
FR (1978) Nr.
FR371
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_SPSG_GKI2270/

Provenance

  • from the old Domkirche (Cathedral) Berlin
    [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, 144, No. 371]

  • probably taken from the Domkirche (Cathedral) in the 17th century and placed in the Erasmuskapelle (Erasmus Chapel) of the Berliner Schloss (Berlin Palace); eight Passion paintings are listed in the Berliner Schloss inventory from 1700
    [Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 213, Nos. IV.14-22]

Exhibitions

Berlin 2009/10, No. IV.16

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Sandner, Heydenreich, Smith-Contini 2015 136, Fn. 61
AuthorGunnar Heydenreich, Ingo Sandner, Helen Smith-Contini
TitleVeränderungen beim Unterzeichnen in Cranachs Werkstatt und die Arbeitsweise von Sohn Lucas
Publicationin Elke A. Werner, Anne Eusterschulte, Gunnar Heydenreich, eds., Lucas Cranach der Jüngere und die Reformation der Bilder
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Link https://lucascranach.org/application/files/5215/6337/7366/Heydenreich_Sandner_Smith-Contini_2015_-_Unterzeichnung.pdf
Pages128-141
Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009 A 215 No. IV.16 Fig. IV.16
EditorStiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
TitleCranach und die Kunst der Renaissance unter den Hohenzollern. Kirche, Hof und Stadtkultur
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2009
Most, Wolf et al. 2009 89, 95 Figs. 3, 10
AuthorMechthild Most, Anja Wolf, Peter Klein, Undine Köhler, Jens Bartoll, Eva Wenders de Calisse
TitleZur Maltechnik der beiden Cranach und ihrer Werkstatt. Ergebnisse der technologischen Untersuchung der Bildtafeln der Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten
Publicationin Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Petri-St. Marien, eds., Cranach und die Kunst der Renaissance unter den Hohenzollern, Exhib. Cat. Berlin
Place of PublicationBerlin
Year of Publication2009
Pages86-97
Erichsen 1994 A 157, 158
AuthorJohannes Erichsen
TitleAltäre Lucas Cranachs und seiner Werkstatt vor der Reformation
Publicationin Claus Grimm, Johannes Erichsen, Evamaria Brockhof, eds., Lucas Cranach. Ein Maler-Unternehmen aus Franken, Exhib. Cat. Kronach 1994
SeriesVeröffentlichungen zur bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur
Volume26/94
Place of PublicationAugsburg, Regensburg
Year of Publication1994
Pages150-165
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979 144 No. 371 Fig. 371
AuthorMax J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
EditorG. Schwartz
TitleDie Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of PublicationBasel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication1979
Friedländer, Rosenberg 1932 296
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

Research History / Discussion

‚The painting is one of nine Passion panels, that were originally parts of an unknown number of winged altarpieces. Commissioned by Joachim II Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop created them for the collegial church in Berlin (Berliner Stiftskirche) between 1537 and 1538. This is one of the central panels, which was probably flanked by full-length depictions of saints on the wings and complemented by scenes from the old testament on the predella. […] The Berlin Passion cycle was based on the 16 Passion altarpieces, which were commissioned by Cardinal Albrecht from Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop for the collegial church in Halle (Hallenser Stiftskirche) (about 1520-1525) and it was the second large painted Passion series created in the Cranach workshop. Not only are numerous central panels now missing from the Berlin Passion altarpieces, like for example ‚The Arrest of Christ‘ or ‚The Crucifixion‘, but in addition the whereabouts of all the wing panels and a large number of the predella panels is unknown. They were probably lost in 1613 when Elector Johann Sigismund converted to Calvinism. […]‘

[Elke A. Werner, Exhib. Cat. Berlin 2009, 213, No. IV.14-22]

  • The Scourging of Christ, 1537

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