Lucas Cranach, The Younger, The Siege of Wolfenbüttel.
Date Description Source Reference
1542 A.D G. 676. 

Left background; One bell tent and three pavilions. 

The pavilion in the front has two pairs of heraldic shields on its roof. The other tents are pretty non-descript. 

G.679. 

Five bell tents, five pavilions, thirteen cone tents and numerous grass huts. 

The cone tent in the right foreground is decorated with horizontal rings and other patterns. The bell tent to its left has swirl decoration descending from the apex and valance scalloping. The pavilion (or wall tent) in the centre of the foreground has a crosshatched pattern on it’s roof. The cone tent on the left middle ground has line decoration around the edges of the door flap. The bell tent in the right background has crosshatching on its roof and scalloping along the valance. 

G.680. 

Two bell tents, four pavilions and two unusual tents. 

Bell tent, triangular banner, ball and apron apex, inter-locking oval decoration on roof. 

Pavilion, two spike apexes, line decoration on roof, two different heraldic shields on the roof, two point guy rope attachment. 

A square tent without a roof but with clouds of billowing out where the roof should be (a cooking tent?). 

To the right of the tents in the encampment (left background) is an unusual tent, a single triangular banner and ball apex, a short roof ridge, a straight section like a pavilion but with one side rounded like a bell tent. 

G.681. 

One bell tent, one cone tent and one pavilion in the background. 

Bell tent, banner, ball apex, panel definition on roof and walls, scalloped valance, each seconded scallop has a tuft hanging from its end. 

Cone tent, spike, ball apex, line and oval decoration on walls. 

Pavilion, two banners, two ball apexes, swirl decoration descends from roof ridge, long roof ending in scalloping and tufts, short walls. 

G.682. 

Seven bell tents, three pavilions, one wall tent and one marque. 

Next to the little bell tent in the centre foreground is a wall tent, no apex decoration, line decoration on roof and upper walls, in cross section the tent is square. 

Beyond the wall tent is a very long low wall tent (in other wood cuts this has been used as a ‘mess’ tent), on either ends appears to be little turrets or lanterns (the larger of the two is on the left). 

The two pavilions in this part of the encampment have no apexes but do have line decoration on their roofs. 

On the right foreground is the start of another encampment surrounded by a wall (probably canvas) showing stonework and gunloops. 

The pavilion just inside this wall as a small pavilion annex attached to the end of a larger pavilion. The main pavilion has banners, ball apexes, line decoration on roof. 

The other tents have, banners, ball apexes and line decoration on their roofs. 

G.683. 

Twelve bell tents and seven pavilions. 

Encampment enclosed by a wall with stonework and gun ports. 

See G.682 for description of pavilion with annex. 

The bell tents in this encampment have banners, ball apexes (one bell tent has two), and line decoration on roof. 

Pavilions, two spikes and ball apexes, tall roof, heraldic shields on front of roof and low walls. 

A tent with indented roof and what I presume are clouds of smoke billowing out of it. 

An unusual bell (?) tent, lantern apex, oval designs on roof, on the left is a small part of a bell tent attached to the roof and walls. 

Pavilion, no apexes, line decoration on roof, single point guy rope attachment and pegs.

Lucas Cranach, The Younger. G. 676 - 683; Pass. 170; H.20. The Siege of Wolfenbüttel 1542. Stockholm. Printed in eight blocks Geisberg, M., The German Single-leaf Woodcut: 1500 - 1550, Volume 2, New York, 1974, p. 640 - 649. 

Hale, J.R., Artists and Warfare in the Renaissance, London, 1990, p. 20.

Other works by Lucas Cranach, The Younger:

Die Erloesung (The Redemption)

Der Jungbrunnen (The Fountain of Youth)


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