DOI Heft:
Nr. 1
DOI Artikel:Steinborn, Bożena: The triumph of David in the Silesian Museum: another copy of Lucas van Leyden's Work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18817#0015
More generał conclusions may be drawn from the fact that the singing gir] in the Wrocław
composition has been defined: her coat is bordered with ermine, the symbol of royal dignity.
Among the anonymous erowd shown on other repetitions of Lucas van Leyden's picture one
of the enthusiasts has been called by her name. She is the daughter of King David — Michol,
who is in love with David. In this way the picture became more an illustration of David's biogra-
phy than only a generał apotheosis of a victory, drawn from an event in the Old Testament. This
closer dependence on the text of the Holy Bibie is chara cteristic of the protestant Saxony and
this may form an additional argument that the picture is from Cranachs' studio.
Thus it may be assumed that the Wrocław Triumph of David was created in the Weimar
workshop after the years 1535—1537. The latest date is the year 1587 in which Lucas the Youn-
ger died and the workshop was closed, it seems however, that the date of the execution of the
copy approaches the middle of the century. This is suggested by the way in which the picture
is painted deprived of the true Cranach's mamier, and above all by the dominatiu.g generał warm
toneofthe whołe colour composition, which does not announce even the cool colouring of the
grey, nearły monochromatic colour composition which characterised the works of Cranach the
Younger in the second hałf of the century.5
Although the glaze has been nearly complctcly washed off, the picture has clearly kept its
primary colour composition, as with the exception of parts of the dresses of the two main fema-
le figures, it has no repaintings at all. I am giving a description of the colouring as this may be
useful in determining the relationship of the picture in the Silesian Museum to the prototype
or the other copies.
3. Fragment of fig. 1, Michol (photo: M. Marciniak)
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composition has been defined: her coat is bordered with ermine, the symbol of royal dignity.
Among the anonymous erowd shown on other repetitions of Lucas van Leyden's picture one
of the enthusiasts has been called by her name. She is the daughter of King David — Michol,
who is in love with David. In this way the picture became more an illustration of David's biogra-
phy than only a generał apotheosis of a victory, drawn from an event in the Old Testament. This
closer dependence on the text of the Holy Bibie is chara cteristic of the protestant Saxony and
this may form an additional argument that the picture is from Cranachs' studio.
Thus it may be assumed that the Wrocław Triumph of David was created in the Weimar
workshop after the years 1535—1537. The latest date is the year 1587 in which Lucas the Youn-
ger died and the workshop was closed, it seems however, that the date of the execution of the
copy approaches the middle of the century. This is suggested by the way in which the picture
is painted deprived of the true Cranach's mamier, and above all by the dominatiu.g generał warm
toneofthe whołe colour composition, which does not announce even the cool colouring of the
grey, nearły monochromatic colour composition which characterised the works of Cranach the
Younger in the second hałf of the century.5
Although the glaze has been nearly complctcly washed off, the picture has clearly kept its
primary colour composition, as with the exception of parts of the dresses of the two main fema-
le figures, it has no repaintings at all. I am giving a description of the colouring as this may be
useful in determining the relationship of the picture in the Silesian Museum to the prototype
or the other copies.
3. Fragment of fig. 1, Michol (photo: M. Marciniak)
9