Artwork
Portrait of the Electress Sibyl of Saxony (1510-1569)
Portrait of the Electress Sibyl of Saxony (1510-1569) is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1533 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in oil paint on panel, a standard support for Lucas Cranach the Elder's small-scale cabinet pictures of the 1530s.
The portrait is executed in oil paint on panel, a standard support for Lucas Cranach the Elder's small-scale cabinet pictures of the 1530s. The work is classified as a painting within the portrait genre and is held in the Statens Museum for Kunst. Its modest dimensions, 20 cm in height by 14 cm in width, are consistent with the intimate format Cranach favored for courtly likenesses, allowing for finely handled detail in the sitter's features and costume against a typically plain ground. No further information on condition or specific stylistic handling is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Sibylle of Cleves was produced in 1533 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, executed in oil on panel. The painting has been held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. No further details regarding the circumstances of its commission, intermediate ownership, or earlier provenance are documented in the available sources.
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, which is listed as both its collection and location. According to the Wikidata record for the work, it entered the museum's holdings as a panel painting in oil, measuring 20 by 14.
No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources for this portrait.
Overview
Created in 1533, this oil on panel by Lucas Cranach the Elder portrays Sibylle of Cleves, the Electress of Saxony. The work is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. It presents the sitter in a composed pose, emphasizing her status through attire and restrained gesture.
Subject & Meaning
Sibylle of Cleves, a prominent figure in early‑16th‑century German politics, is shown seated with hands gently placed in her lap, a pose that conveys dignity and calm authority. The inclusion of a gold chain and elaborate collar underscores her noble rank, while the modest expression reflects contemporary ideals of female virtue and courtly decorum.
Context
Cranach frequently painted members of the Saxon court, using portraiture to reinforce political alliances. This work aligns with his series of female portraits, where he combined realistic detail with symbolic elements, such as the gold chain, to communicate the sitter’s social standing within the Holy Roman Empire.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
