Artwork
An ill-matched Pair
An ill-matched Pair is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1535 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a man and woman whose clothing and expression suggest a mismatched social pairing, likely symbolizing themes of appearance versus inner virtue or the fleeting nature of worldly harmony. The figures, rendered in oil on lime panel, are set within a domestic interior that underscores contemporary moral concerns about marital suitability and social pretense.
Technique & Style
The small dimensions of 87 cm by 60 cm height and width reflect an intimate devotional format rather than a grand narrative scene.
The work is executed in oil paint on a lime panel, a support typical of early German Renaissance practice. The surface shows careful handling evident in the fine brushwork and subtle tonal modeling of the figures. Stylistically the painting employs the crisp linear drawing and rich coloration characteristic of Lucas Cranach the Elder’s workshop, with a compositional balance that emphasizes the awkward interaction between the ill-matched couple.
The small dimensions of 87 cm by 60 cm height and width reflect an intimate devotional format rather than a grand narrative scene.
History & Provenance
The painting titled An ill-matched Pair was created in 1535 by Lucas Cranach the Elder using oil paint on a lime panel, measuring 87 cm in height and 60 cm in width. It depicts an ill-matched couple and falls within the genre of genre art and allegory. The work originates from the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder and is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, currently housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Its creation is dated to 1535, with inception recorded as 1535-00-00.
The painting is held by the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it forms part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Its location is recorded as the Alte Pinakothek.
No accession number is documented in the available sources, and no exhibition history is recorded.
Overview
Created in 1535, this oil painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder presents a domestic genre scene that focuses on a pair of figures standing closely together. The work is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it remains on display as an example of the artist’s late output.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
