Silver Statuette of St. Matthias, from the "Wittenberg Reliquaries"
Original title: Silver Statuette of St. Matthias, from the "Wittenberg Reliquaries"
kurzbeschreibung
A woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder reproduces the silver figure of Saint Matthias that belonged to the Wittenberg relics. The sheet measures roughly 13 × 6.4 cm, carries no date, and shows the saint standing on an ornamented base.
Description
Saint Matthias stands on a decorated pedestal, wrapped in robe and cloak. His right hand holds a book, his left a tool or instrument. A halo of rays encircles his head. The print stays in a single colour, with crisp contours and hatched areas.
Context
Frederick the Wise kept a collection of saintly relics in the Wittenberg Castle Church, known as the Wittenberg relics. Around 1509 Lucas Cranach the Elder made a series of woodcuts after these relics. Such sheets served devotion and preserved the collection in image form.
Impact
The halo of rays catches the eye first, then the gaze slides down the upright figure to the base. Fine hatching and sharp contours give the figure body despite the flat print. The pose feels collected and still, and the sheet gives off a calm, prayerful mood.
Technique
To make the print, the design was cut into a woodblock and then pulled onto paper. Parallel and crossed hatchings build up tonal steps and give the statuette its form. The single-colour ink matches the usual practice of the period.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)