# Allegory of Melancholy

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/allegory-of-melancholy-rbbe8c5bc4be7d8>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [CRANACH, Lucas the Elder](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a>)
- Date: 1501-1550
- Technique: Oil and tempera on wood, 113 x 72 cm

## Commentary

The winged personification, the tools arranged at her feet, the ball, the dog and the writing on the wall reveal the primary source used by Cranach for this and three other works: Albrecht Dürer&#39;s masterly &lt;A onclick=&#34;return OpenOther\(&#39;/html/d/durer/2/13/4/079.html&#39;\)&#34; HREF=&#34;/html/d/durer/2/13/4/079.html&#34;&gt;engraving Melencolia I of 1514.&lt;/A&gt; This panel, the earliest of Cranach&#39;s treatments of the subject to have survived, has been cropped on all sides, but particularly on the right, thus the powerful wings of the seated woman is cut off. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 2 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/19\_cent/bellini\_malinconia.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;Vincenzo Bellini: Malinconia, ninfa gentile&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [A Faun and his Family with a Slain Lion \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/a-faun-and-his-family-with-a-slain-lion-detail-r100bea5a60de72>)
- [A Faun and his Family with a Slain Lion](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/a-faun-and-his-family-with-a-slain-lion-re578372caaaf42>)
- [A Prince of Saxony](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/a-prince-of-saxony-rb31a36fa7d2d15>)
- [A Princess of Saxony](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/a-princess-of-saxony-ra2aa6a7f685cf7>)
- [Adam and Eve \(detail\)](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-detail-r8aada976918532>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r01375a05d1f882>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r05c8b0d34ce91c>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r1ad4eb003fa739>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r3f1db7c5f5ccb8>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r4a8d0e88e6766f>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r52dc11a76ec05a>)
- [Adam and Eve](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/cranach-lucas-the-elder-r9182bd445f259a/adam-and-eve-r8f1ac7afb0d246>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)