Lot 1210 Dα

The present work, which is thought to be a fragment of an altarpiece, shows a full-figure depiction of Saint Anne holding an open book. The image probably represents the saint's role in the education of the Virgin Mary. Saint Anne, who is the patroness of miners, is here depicted before a hedge in the foreground against one of Cranach's typical mountain landscapes in the background. Stylistic characteristics as well as the chosen substrate and the way in which the pigment is layered all correspond to the working practices of Lucas Cranach the Elder's workshop in Wittenberg. The panel can be dated to the time from around 1535 to 1540. We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Gunnar Heydenreich of the Cranach Digital Archive (cda) and Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS) of Cologne Technical College for confirming the authenticity of this work in person through stylistic and technological analysis (stereo microscopy, x-ray fluorescence analysis, UV analysis, x-ray structural analysis, infrared reflectography, and Raman spectroscopy).