Ein seit dem Ende

A painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) and his workshop, missing since the end of World War II, has returned to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery). The small-scale portrait depicts Elector Friedrich the Wise. It had been in a private collection in France. When its provenance was investigated at the Artcurial auction house, it was discovered that it had formerly belonged to the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections, SKD). Thanks to the owners, the Dreyfus family of Paris, and the support of MUSEIS SAXONICIS USUI – Freunde der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden e.V., it has been possible to re-acquire the work for the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. It can be seen now, and until 26 July 2026, in the current special exhibition ‘All that glisters is not gold. Friedrich the Wise’ in the Münzkabinett at the Residenzschloss. After the exhibition, the painting will be on permanent display in the Semper Gallery in the Zwinger.

After the death of Elector Friedrich III of Saxony (commonly known as Friedrich or Frederick the Wise) in 1525, there was a growing demand for portraits of the man who had long held a protective hand over Martin Luther. Lucas Cranach the Elder, court painter to Friedrich III and a friend of Luther’s, executed all the Elector’s commissions, as well as painting portraits of major Reformation figures. From 1530 onwards, his workshop saw a sharp rise in its output of serially produced portraits depicting Friedrich, of which around 25 examples have survived to this day.

This postcard-sized portrait of Friedrich the Wise was first catalogued in the 1722–28 Gallery inventory under number ‘1355,’ with its location cited as the church in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace). It was presumably sold at some unknown date, but in 1857 it returned to the Gemäldegalerie from the Moritz Steinla collection. During the Second World War, the paintings from the Dresden Gallery were evacuated for safekeeping. The portrait of Friedrich the Wise was initially transported to Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen in 1940; its last documented location, in May 1945, was the limestone quarry of Pockau-Lengefeld, a storage site for numerous works from the Dresden museums. Nothing is known of its whereabouts after that.

For nearly 80 years, the small wooden panel was considered a wartime loss, but then, in November 2024, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister received a crucial tip from Prof. Dr. Gunnar Heydenreich of the Cranach Digital Archive (cda). The painting had been sent from a French private collection to the Paris auction house Artcurial for appraisal. One of the factors that clearly identified the item as having belonged to Dresden was the 18th-century inventory number at the bottom right-hand corner on the front of the panel. After lengthy negotiations, a financial agreement was reached for the work’s return. The Dreyfus family returned the painting in memory of Liliane Skop-Dreyfus (1929–2024), who had purchased it in good faith.

Among the more than 500 works of the Dresden Gemäldegalerie that are considered wartime losses, 18 are paintings from the Cranach workshop, of which seven have so far been returned.

Bernd Ebert, Director-General of the SKD: ‘I am sincerely grateful to the Dreyfus family, who have decided to return this valuable and important work to the Dresden Gemäldegalerie. The family’s generous gesture encourages us to continue our search for artworks missing since the Second World War. May others follow the Dreyfus family’s example and enable such works to come back to Dresden.’

Holger Jacob-Friesen, Director of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection) up to 1800: ‘Friedrich the Wise, Elector of Saxony, is of great importance to Saxon and German history. He also commissioned important works that are now held in the Dresden Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, home to the world’s largest Cranach collection. This small portrait was sorely missed. What a stroke of luck that it is now returning to the collection!’

Sylvia Karges, Director of the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet): ‘The fact that the returned Cranach painting can now be shown in Dresden for the first time as part of our current special exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Friedrich the Wise is a wonderful coincidence. The exhibition in the Münzkabinett is the perfect setting in which to learn about the Ernestine Elector, who, incidentally, was the first Saxon to have his portrait appear on a coin.’

Petra von Crailsheim, Chair of the Board of Directors of MUSEIS SAXONICIS USUI – Freunde der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden e.V.: ‘The return of this small but significant Cranach painting impressively demonstrates what we can achieve together. It was made possible by the enthusiasm and the donations of numerous friends of our association, which has over 2,500 members – a vibrant sign of civic engagement.’