Lot 1514 Dα

Although the present work is neither signed nor dated, stylistic and technical characteristics allow it to be attributed to the Monogrammist I.W., a former artist in the studio of Lucas Cranach. Many of Cranach's pupils left his workshop in Wittenberg to begin independent careers with their own style. Although scholarship on Cranach and his students has increased greatly in recent years, questions of attribution between the master and his pupils and employees are still discussed and widely researched to this day.

The pale skin, peculiar lacing of the gown, and the slit sleeves revealing brocade lining can be compared to various other works by the Master I.W. "Judith with the Head of Holofernes" (1525, Prague), "Lucretia" (1525, private ownership) and "Salome with the Head of Saint John" (circa 1525, private ownership). The identity of this monogrammist has yet to be researched in depth. It is known that he was employed in the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder until 1520. He may have been made redundant due to the decline in commissions for altarpieces that occurred as a result of the Reformation. He probably then relocated to Bohemia to create independent works based on the motifs he had learnt in Cranach's workshop.

The present work, dated around 1525, can presumably be allocated to this time. Until around 1550, the Monogrammist I.W. was considered the most important representative of the Cranach school in Bohemia. All works which have been attributed to him thus far, including the present panel, are registered in the online database of the Cranach Digital Archive (lucascranach.org) with photographs, infrared reflectography, x-rays, and references to numerous comparable works and specialist publications. Together with a further fragment, this “Portrait of a Lady” probably formed a depiction of Salome with the head of John the Baptist. The upper and lower halves of the painting were removed at an unknown time and sold separately. It was only during research carried out by the Cranach Digital Archive that the connection between the various fragments was recognised. Both pieces were exhibited together last year in the exhibition “Cranach - Meister, Marke, Moderne” in Düsseldorf.