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Cranach Magnified allows you to investigate the refined painting technique of Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop by comparing macroscopic details from different paintings.
| About This Project |
| The J. Paul Getty Museum acquired A Faun and His Family with a Slain Lion by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) in 2003.
When conservators and curators examined the painting under magnification, they found a number of startling details, such as this tiny running figure on the road in the background (near right), that are indicative of Cranach's highly detailed technique. Examination of the other paintings led to similar discoveries, such as the reflection in the stag's eye (far right) from London. This comparative image tool is inspired by these findings. |
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A Faun and His Family with a Slain Lion
About 1526
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Oil on panel, 82.9 x 56.2 cm
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
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The paintings chosen for this project exhibit sinuous, almost calligraphic brushwork, textured foliage,
and surprisingly minute features that were characteristic of Cranach's style in the late 1520s.
By enabling close comparison of paintings related by date and iconography side by side,
this tool is intended to help researchers better understand Cranach's technique.
The project will initially focus on paintings executed between 1525 and 1530, with the expectation that it will
expand to include works from across his career.
One of the leading painters of the German Renaissance, Lucas Cranach the Elder served Duke Frederick the Wise and the court at
Wittenburg from 1507 to 1553. Cranach oversaw a busy workshop that strove to meet the high demand for his portraits, as well
as his popular religious and mythological scenes. He developed a signature approach to the nude form and to specific motifs,
notably animals, which the workshop could replicate. Multiple versions and copies have long complicated Cranach studies.
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Lucas Cranach the Elder's personal device, a winged serpent holding a ring in its mouth, served as his official signature
from 1508, following the official conferral of the emblem as his coat of arms by elector Frederick the Wise. Its configuration
varied over the course of his career.
About the Images
The images vary in magnification; the degree of magnification will be indicated in future versions of the site. Individual
institutions have provided the images, and therefore different cameras, lenses, and procedures have been used. No attempt
has been made to adjust for color. Object information is from the participating institutions.
"Cranach Magnified" was conceived and organized by Yvonne Szafran, Department of Paintings Conservation, and Anne Woollett,
Paintings Department, both of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
We thank the participating institutions for their generous contributions to this project.
We welcome your contributions to this ongoing study. Look for the "Submit Your Reaction" button on the image tool.
Related Links
Temptation in Eden: Lucas Cranach's Adam and Eve
The Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery in London presented this exhibition focusing on Adam and Eve from June 21 through September 23, 2007.
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