A painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) and his workshop, which had been lost since the end of the Second World War, has returned to the Dresden Old Masters Picture Gallery. The small-format portrait shows Elector Frederick the Wise and was in private ownership in France, the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) announced. When its provenance was checked at an auction house, it turned out that it once belonged to the SKD collection.
The previous owners of the painting and the association Museis Saxonicis Usui - Freunde der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden helped to return the painting to its original place of origin, it was reported. It can now be seen in the current special exhibition on Frederick the Wise in the Coin Cabinet of the Royal Palace. After this presentation, the work will be on permanent display in the Semper Gallery in the Zwinger.
The SKD claims to have the world's largest collection of Cranach works with 67 pieces. 18 were lost during the Second World War, seven have since returned to Dresden. In total, the Dresden Picture Gallery's war losses amount to around 500 works.
