Silver Statuette of St. Philip, from the 'Wittenberg Reliquaries'
Original title: Silver Statuette of St. Philip, from the "Wittenberg Reliquaries"
kurzbeschreibung
Lucas Cranach the Elder recorded the silver statuette of Saint Philip in this woodcut, which belonged to the Wittenberg relic collection. The sheet is part of a series documenting the relics of Frederick the Wise. Sacred pictorial tradition and close observation of a crafted object meet here.
Description
Saint Philip stands frontally on a pedestal adorned with flowers and fruits. His left hand holds a book, his right a staff; a crown with rays rests on his head. A long, wavy robe with fine hatching makes the fabric surface tangible. A childlike figure at his left side places a hand on his shoulder. The layout is symmetrical, and the light is evenly distributed, as is characteristic of woodcut.
Context
The Wittenberg relics formed a widely known collection of saintly relics kept by Elector Frederick the Wise in the castle church at Wittenberg. For the 'Wittenberg Heilumsbuch' of 1509, Cranach made woodcuts that recorded the relics and their containers. The series was intended to present the collection publicly and to boost pilgrimage to Wittenberg. The precious mounts that enclosed the relics included the silver statuettes.
Impact
Viewers approach the sheet calmly and with a sense of collection: the symmetrical arrangement and the composed posture of the figures create a solemn, devotional mood. Fine lines and hatching give the silver statuette plasticity, so that it almost emerges bodily. Holiness and the representational claim of the relic are emphasized.
Technique
A woodcut, a relief printing technique in which the design is cut from a wooden block and then printed on paper. Cranach used fine lines and cross-hatching to render light and shadow and the surfaces of metal and fabric. The small-format sheet measures 15.5 × 6.2 cm and belongs to a series of individual depictions.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)