Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is a 1522 oil portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder that presents a single female sitter, identified only as 'woman' in cataloguing records.
The work is a 1522 oil portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder that presents a single female sitter, identified only as 'woman' in cataloguing records. No additional iconographic attributes or symbolic elements are recorded; the figure is rendered in a conventional half-length format typical of early-sixteenth-century German portraiture. The sitter's identity remains uncertain, and the painting is interpreted primarily as a likeness of an unnamed woman rather than an allegorical or emblematic depiction.
Technique & Style
Lucas Cranach the Elder's Portrait of a Woman is executed in oil on panel, a support and medium characteristic of his early sixteenth-century portrait practice. The work is relatively modest in scale, measuring 58 cm in height by 39.8 cm in width, an upright format suited to a half-length depiction. The painting belongs to the Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Cranach's handling of the oil medium on a wooden support allowed for the smooth, enamel-like surface and precise linear definition for which his workshop output is recognized, with the panel providing a stable ground for fine detail in the sitter's features and costume.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of a Woman was painted in 1522 by Lucas Cranach the Elder as an oil on panel portrait. Its earliest documented owner was Dr. Friedrich Campe of Nuremberg, who possessed it by 1844; the painting subsequently entered the collection of Bernhard von Lindenau, then passed by inheritance to his niece Mrs. von Watzdorf-Bachoff. In the early twentieth century it was sold through Paul Cassirer in Berlin and later entered a private collection possibly linked to von der Heydt.
The work was sold in 1954 to Rosenberg and Stiebel, acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in January 1954, and gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1959.
The painting is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as accession number 1959.9.2, part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection. It entered the museum's holdings in 1959 as a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
Legacy
The painting's inclusion in the Samuel H. Kress Collection and its display at the National Gallery of Art have contributed to renewed scholarly attention, with the 1995 NGA catalogue entry highlighting its significance as a 1522 portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Its provenance, documented from Dr. Friedrich Campe through several private owners, illustrates a chain of ownership that underscores its historical importance. As a representative work of Cranach's portraiture, it continues to be referenced in studies of Northern Renaissance portraiture and is featured in the National Gallery of Art's online catalogue, reinforcing its standing in art-historical discourse.
Overview
This painting, Portrait of a Woman, was created in 1522 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a prominent German Renaissance artist. Executed in oil on panel, the work depicts an unidentified female sitter. Cranach was known for his detailed portraiture, and this piece exemplifies his approach to depicting individuals during a period when such representations were becoming more prevalent.
Context
Lucas Cranach the Elder held a significant position as court painter to the Electors of Saxony, a role that brought him into close contact with powerful figures of his era. His connections extended to leaders of the Reformation, including Martin Luther, whose portraits he frequently painted. This background shaped his artistic output, making him a key chronicler of the German Renaissance and the religious shifts of the early 16th century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
- Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Young Man
Ligsalz-Bildnisdiptychon: Apollonia Ligsalz, geb. Ridler![Hans Roth [obverse], by Bernhard Strigel](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/bernhard-strigel--hans-roth-obverse--9904e8cf2692db0d-w320.webp)
Hans Roth [obverse]
Hans Melber
Benedikt von Hertenstein (born about 1495, died 1522)
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