Johann Friedrich of Saxony is depicted here as Prince-Elector on the occasion of his betrothal to Sibylle von Cleve (1512-54) on 8 August 1526. He is seen wearing both their rings around his neck and adorning a particularly ornate outfit, with a richly decorated collar under a robe of sumptuous cloth, complemented by a fur-trimmed cloak.

This painting is related to the signed and dated prime version from 1526 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, now in the Weimar Schloss (fig. 1), where the pendant by the master depicting Sibylle von Cleve is also found (fig. 2).

There are slight deviations in the present composition - most obvious is the inclusion of a window with a view over a landscape and the feathered head-piece, as well as minor differences such as the rings depicted as hanging on a braided rope rather than a hoop.

We are grateful to Prof. Dr. Ingo Sandner for endorsing an attribution to Antonius Heusler, who was working in Cranach's workshop between 1522/23-26.¹ He lists two other workshop versions - one of similar dimensions in a private collection (56.3 x 37 cm.) (fig. 3), and a smaller one in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow (36 x 24 cm.).² He suggests that by the time of execution of the present painting, the prime version by Cranach might have already left the workshop, and this therefore may instead be based on a drawing by the master, which could also help explain the aforementioned differences in composition.

¹ To view the full report by Dr Ingo Sandner dated 18 July 2018, please click here.
² Inv. no. 922; Sandner 2018, p. 9, reproduced fig. 6.