Danube School, circa 1520

Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, 28 October 2010, lot 2;
There acquired by the present owner. 

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This pair of panels is in good condition overall. Although the relief figures that would have been attached to the reverse sides are no longer extant, the gilded and tooled surfaces are essentially intact. The painted surfaces are generally well preserved; notwithstanding some sizeable areas of restoration, both panels present well with their vibrant palette and lively, graphic compositions. Each panel appears to be comprised of 5 vertically grained boards and, based on the barbe still present around the painted area, retains its original dimensions. The varnish is clear and even on both panels. In the Saint Catherine panel restoration is found primarily along the panel joins, with some vertically oriented areas of retouching that may be related to past water damage. The darks of the saint's dress are reinforced with restoration glazes, and in the left half of the dress the retouching is comprised of an application of flat color. Much of the restoration in the Saint Barbara panel is also located along joins, with additional broad retouching with a somewhat cloudy appearance visible in the saint's dress and the dark passage to the left of the executioner. Not all losses were filled prior to retouching, so some restoration is not in plane with the original paint layers. The center join is visible from the front as a hairline crack running the length of the panel. Because most areas of restoration are compositionally of lesser import, removal or adjustment of the retouching is not necessary. This pair may be displayed in their current state.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

When this captivating pair of panels last appeared at auction, Dr. Ludwig Meyer suggested they were completed by an artist from the Danube School and would originally have flanked a carved wooden shrine.  He noted that the composition of the Martyrdom of Saint Barbara derives in broad outline and disposition from the principal figures of Lucas Cranach the Elder's woodcut of the same subject (Bartsch 70), which dates to circa 1509.  The author of the present panels, however, has adapted Cranach's composition to the taller and narrower format of an altarpiece wing.  Dr. Meyer further compared the style of the present pair, particularly in the strong modelling of the figures, to two other panels of circa 1515 depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence (Sankt Lorenzkirche, Berching, Oberpfalz), although he recognized that the two pairs were not from the same hand.

A fascinating element appears on the reverse of each panel, for both bear indications that sculptures once decorated their gilded surfaces (fig. 1).  Even from the ghostly outlines that remain, one certainly seems to have been St. Francis receiving the stigmata, while the other could be Saint John the Baptist with his arm raised to hold a lamb.  

Dendrochronological analysis of the fir panel undertaken by Dr. Peter Klein upholds an early dating for this pair of panels.  His report, which is available upon request, suggests an earliest possible creation date of 1502 upwards.