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Lot Essay
This is one of a group of portraits that Cranach painted of John Frederick, who succeeded to the Electorship on the death of his father, John the Steadfast (1468-1532). The earliest known is that of him as a child, one panel of the diptych with the portrait of his father, sold in these Rooms, 6 July 1990, lot 42 (£4,840,000). Cranach did not apparently paint the prince again until his marriage portrait of him of 1526 (Weimar, Schlossmuseum) and then again in his portraits of him as Heir Apparent of 1528/30 and 1531 (location unknown, see Friedländer and Rosenberg, 1972, op. cit., no. 135; and Paris, Louvre). Dating from shortly after his accession in 1532, and presumably preceding the number of small-format portraits of the new elector, is the portrait of John Frederick in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin-Dahlem, depicting him as it does carrying the electoral sword.
The format and scale of the present portrait closely matches that of the Berlin and Paris pictures, the costume being closest to the Berlin painting, although the hat, with the three golden pendant chains, reprises that shown in the Paris portrait. The general pose was of course the basis for almost all of Cranach's portraits of all three Electors; it was used by him in other contemporaneous depictions of the sitter, including in reverse in the triptych of The three Electors of Saxony: Frederic the Wise, John the Steadfast and John Frederick the Magnanimous in the Kunsthalle, Hamburg. There are numerous similar depictions, most from later in Cranach's career, but very few on the present scale, almost all the other such portraits being on the small scale most commonly found with Cranach's electoral portraits, including John Frederick's 1532 commission of sixty portrait pairs of his deceased uncle and father.
The latter commission was obviously on such a scale that a considerable degree of studio responsibility must be inferred. That Cranach operated with a large workshop is well-known and documented (his first known pupil is mentioned in 1507). After the death of his eldest son, Hans, in 1537, the workshop's direction was handed to Lucas II, and the majority of Cranach's output after that date is now believed to be the work either of the younger Lucas and/or his assistants. Even before that date, and certainly from after 1520, some degree of participation can rarely be ruled out, even on a work of unusually impressive format like this painting. The present cataloguing recognises that, and follows the attributional recommendation of Dr. Dieter Koepplin, to whom we are grateful for his assistance. We are grateful also to Dr. Werner Schade, who has also suggested Cranach I and studio on inspection of the original. He notes that the dragon device of the signature is of a type thought to date first from 1537, but analysis of the signature and date do not, however, show any signs of either having been altered, and the present attribution has therefore been retained; it is of course, entirely plausible that the studio assistance may in fact be the work of Lucas II.
John Frederick's life was almost entirely dominated by the religious controversies arising from the House of Wettin's sponsorship of Martin Luther and his teachings. He received his education from the latter's friend and advisor, George Spalatin, and thereby developed a devotion to Luther's teachings. He subsequently cultivated a personal relationship with Martin Luther, beginning to correspond with him in the days when the bull of excommunication was hurled against the Reformer, and showing himself one of his most convinced supporters. He eagerly read Luther's writings, urged the printing of the first complete (Wittenberg) edition of his works, and in the latter years of his life promoted the compilation of the Jena edition. At the same time, his father introduced him into the political and diplomatic affairs of the time, but he was never the most far-sighted politician, his open and impulsive nature often leading him to disregard the propositions of his more experienced advisers.
John Frederick's strong Lutheran beliefs led him into frequent clashes with Imperial and Papal policies, including at the Diet of Schmalkald in 1537 when the elector treated the papal legate with open disregard and rejected the propositions of Dr. Held, the imperial legate. His attitude became more and more stubborn and regardless of consequences, and in spite of the warnings of the emperor, and of Luther, he arbitrarily set aside in 1541 the election of Julius von Pflug to the see of Naumburg, instituted his own bishop, and introduced the Reformation. The Emperor Charles V was at that moment unable to interfere and, by apparently yielding, concealed his true intentions. John Frederick actually thought that peace had come and continued the ecclesiastical reforms in his country. When the Schmalkald War broke out in 1546, he marched to the south at the head of his troops, but the unexpected invasion of his country by his cousin Duke Maurice compelled him to return. He succeeded in reconquering the larger part of his possessions and repelling Maurice, but suddenly the emperor hastened north and surprised the elector, who was defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Mühlberg in 1547.
The Emperor condemned John Frederick to death but delayed executing the sentence in order to use the deposed elector as a bargaining tool in the siege of Wittenberg; to protect and save his wife and sons, and to prevent the city from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg, and, having been compelled to resign the government of his country in favour of Maurice, his condemnation was changed into imprisonment for life. He was never greater and more magnanimous - a nickname he had earned for his forgiving nature - than in the days of his captivity. Friends and foes were compelled to acknowledge his calm behaviour, his unwavering faith, and his greatness under misfortune; despite the opportunity to be set free if he would but compromise his faith and convictions, he steadfastly refused, and urged his sons to remain strong and faithful. The sudden attack upon the emperor by the Elector Maurice ended John Frederick's imprisonment, and he was released in 1552. He still firmly refused to bind himself to comply in matters of religion with the decisions of a future council or diet, declaring that he was resolved to adhere until his grave to the doctrine contained in the Augsburg Confession. He removed the seat of government to Weimar and reformed the conditions of his country, but died within two years of his release.
The format and scale of the present portrait closely matches that of the Berlin and Paris pictures, the costume being closest to the Berlin painting, although the hat, with the three golden pendant chains, reprises that shown in the Paris portrait. The general pose was of course the basis for almost all of Cranach's portraits of all three Electors; it was used by him in other contemporaneous depictions of the sitter, including in reverse in the triptych of The three Electors of Saxony: Frederic the Wise, John the Steadfast and John Frederick the Magnanimous in the Kunsthalle, Hamburg. There are numerous similar depictions, most from later in Cranach's career, but very few on the present scale, almost all the other such portraits being on the small scale most commonly found with Cranach's electoral portraits, including John Frederick's 1532 commission of sixty portrait pairs of his deceased uncle and father.
The latter commission was obviously on such a scale that a considerable degree of studio responsibility must be inferred. That Cranach operated with a large workshop is well-known and documented (his first known pupil is mentioned in 1507). After the death of his eldest son, Hans, in 1537, the workshop's direction was handed to Lucas II, and the majority of Cranach's output after that date is now believed to be the work either of the younger Lucas and/or his assistants. Even before that date, and certainly from after 1520, some degree of participation can rarely be ruled out, even on a work of unusually impressive format like this painting. The present cataloguing recognises that, and follows the attributional recommendation of Dr. Dieter Koepplin, to whom we are grateful for his assistance. We are grateful also to Dr. Werner Schade, who has also suggested Cranach I and studio on inspection of the original. He notes that the dragon device of the signature is of a type thought to date first from 1537, but analysis of the signature and date do not, however, show any signs of either having been altered, and the present attribution has therefore been retained; it is of course, entirely plausible that the studio assistance may in fact be the work of Lucas II.
John Frederick's life was almost entirely dominated by the religious controversies arising from the House of Wettin's sponsorship of Martin Luther and his teachings. He received his education from the latter's friend and advisor, George Spalatin, and thereby developed a devotion to Luther's teachings. He subsequently cultivated a personal relationship with Martin Luther, beginning to correspond with him in the days when the bull of excommunication was hurled against the Reformer, and showing himself one of his most convinced supporters. He eagerly read Luther's writings, urged the printing of the first complete (Wittenberg) edition of his works, and in the latter years of his life promoted the compilation of the Jena edition. At the same time, his father introduced him into the political and diplomatic affairs of the time, but he was never the most far-sighted politician, his open and impulsive nature often leading him to disregard the propositions of his more experienced advisers.
John Frederick's strong Lutheran beliefs led him into frequent clashes with Imperial and Papal policies, including at the Diet of Schmalkald in 1537 when the elector treated the papal legate with open disregard and rejected the propositions of Dr. Held, the imperial legate. His attitude became more and more stubborn and regardless of consequences, and in spite of the warnings of the emperor, and of Luther, he arbitrarily set aside in 1541 the election of Julius von Pflug to the see of Naumburg, instituted his own bishop, and introduced the Reformation. The Emperor Charles V was at that moment unable to interfere and, by apparently yielding, concealed his true intentions. John Frederick actually thought that peace had come and continued the ecclesiastical reforms in his country. When the Schmalkald War broke out in 1546, he marched to the south at the head of his troops, but the unexpected invasion of his country by his cousin Duke Maurice compelled him to return. He succeeded in reconquering the larger part of his possessions and repelling Maurice, but suddenly the emperor hastened north and surprised the elector, who was defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Mühlberg in 1547.
The Emperor condemned John Frederick to death but delayed executing the sentence in order to use the deposed elector as a bargaining tool in the siege of Wittenberg; to protect and save his wife and sons, and to prevent the city from being destroyed, John Frederick conceded the Capitulation of Wittenberg, and, having been compelled to resign the government of his country in favour of Maurice, his condemnation was changed into imprisonment for life. He was never greater and more magnanimous - a nickname he had earned for his forgiving nature - than in the days of his captivity. Friends and foes were compelled to acknowledge his calm behaviour, his unwavering faith, and his greatness under misfortune; despite the opportunity to be set free if he would but compromise his faith and convictions, he steadfastly refused, and urged his sons to remain strong and faithful. The sudden attack upon the emperor by the Elector Maurice ended John Frederick's imprisonment, and he was released in 1552. He still firmly refused to bind himself to comply in matters of religion with the decisions of a future council or diet, declaring that he was resolved to adhere until his grave to the doctrine contained in the Augsburg Confession. He removed the seat of government to Weimar and reformed the conditions of his country, but died within two years of his release.