La ninfa de la fuente
La ninfa de la fuente
In addition to religious compositions and portraiture, Cranach cultivated the genre of mythology in which he developed an innovative type of female nude that had little to do with traditional Italian canons of beauty and which involved a powerfully erotic element.
In this predominantly horizontal composition the artist located the nymph covered in a transparent veil that covers her head and body. The subject of the painting has been of interest to scholars due to its combination of classical and Italian references.
The nymph has thus been identified as the nymph of the Castalian Spring, from whose waters poets and philosophers drank in search of inspiration.The top left inscription says: “I am the Nymph of the Sacred Spring. Do not disturb my sleep.”
High resolution pigment ink on cotton paper
120 x 75 cm
Same size as original
Next unit for sale No. 1
Open edition. Produced on demand
Certificate of authenticity included
Lucas Cranach el Viejo
Lucas Cranach the Elder, father of fellow painter Lucas Cranach the Younger, was a German artist, painter, and designer of woodcut prints. He trained as a painter in the family workshop and years later he travelled around southern Germany.
Thyssen
The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum is a Madrid art gallery exhibiting the works of old and modern masters. It owes its existence to the lease agreement (1988) and the subsequent acquisition by the Spanish Government (1993), of the most valuable core of the private collection built over seven decades by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family.