Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder (Kronach 1472-1553 Weimar). The Ill-Matched Lovers with a fluting boy. Estimated Price: CHF25,000 - CHF35,000. Photo Koller Auctions

Oil on panel 28 x 42.5 cm. 

Provenance: -. European private collection 

Literature: Koepplin, Dieter / Falk, Tilman: Lukas Cranach. Paintings, Drawings, Prints, Basel / Stuttgart 1974, Volume 2, under cat. No. 476, p 578 mentions (as 'Old Man and prostitute and flute blowing boy' by Wolfgang Krodel). This painting is in the archives of Dieter Koepplin under the work Krodels Wolfgang (1528-1561) filed and published in its publication from 1974 as such (see literature). 

The Cranach student Wolfgang Krodel was 'women power' specialized in depictions of, among other things, he painted compositions with 'David and Bathsheba', 'Lot and his daughters' and more 'unequal pairs', such as the painting offered here. Here Dieter Koepplin dated our paintings in the same year as the 1541 dated cross format tableau 'Old man with two prostitutes.' Dr. Michael Hofbauer brings this painting because of stylistic features with a St. Catherine (oil on wood, ca. 41 x 25 cm) of monogramist HS in conjunction, standing near the Cranach workshop. Dr. Christoph Emmendörffer identified the painting as a work of Cranach's pupil Hans Kemmer (around 1495-1561) and dated it around 1545. Characteristic fine painterly elements for Kemmer example, in necklace, determine fur, velvet and brocade

We are grateful to Dr. Michael Hofbauer and Dr. Christoph Emmendörffer For their scholarly assistance in the cataloging of this work on the basis of a photograph.

Old Master Paintings by Koller Auctions, September 18, 2015, 3:00 PM CET - Zurich, Switzerland