A painting believed to date back to the German Renaissance 500 years ago has been uncovered by Hansons London.
The 16th century portrait miniature, identified as ‘School of Cranach’, is set for auction on March 25 with a guide price of £1,000-£2,000.
Chris Kirkham, director of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “It is exceptional due to its age and connection to an important time in Germany’s history.
A note on the reverse of the portrait attributes it to the studio of Cranach the Younger. Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist.
He was born in Wittenberg, the second son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Barbara Brengebier. He became an apprentice in his father’s workshop, training alongside his older brother, Hans. Following Hans’ sudden death in 1537, Cranach the Younger assumed greater responsibilities.
Cranach the Elder was friends with Martin Luther, a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and Augustinian friar who led the Protestant Reformation.
Consequently, Cranach the Elder became known as a leading producer of Protestant artistic propaganda. In 1550, he left Wittenberg to join his patron, John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, in exile.
Following his father’s departure, Cranach the Younger assumed full responsibility over the flourishing family workshop. He successfully maintained the workshop’s high output of quality work, including images of Reformers such as Luther himself.
Though Cranach the Younger was never a court painter, he worked for members of the social elite including princes and nobles. Theologian Georg Mylius (1613–1640) stated that Cranach the Younger’s work could be seen in ‘churches and schools, in castles and houses’.
Cranach the Younger is buried adjacent to one of his finest altarpieces in the church of St Mary, also known as Stadtkirche, Wittenberg.
The German Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among German thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries. It led to many advances in the fields of architecture, the arts, and the sciences, two of which dominated 16th century Europe – printing and the Protestant Reformation.
The School of Cranach portrait, Lot 2, will be offered in the Hansons London March 25 Fine Art & Antiques Auction.
To find out more contact Chris Kirkham, associate director of Hansons Auctioneers: [email protected]
