Portrait of Martin Luther

Download1947 × 3000 px View on a wall Edit

Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472–1553)
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 37 × 23.5 cm
Museum: SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
Rights: Public Domain Mark

Cranach was a friend of the German priest Martin Luther, known as the father of the Reformation and the founder of Protestantism. Reformation artist The Reformation was a revolt against the Catholic church and split the Christian church into Protestantism and Catholicism. Even though Cranach is now regarded as a Reformation artist, he also painted for Catholic clients.

The tone of the painting When we look at the Dutch, Catholic artist Jan de Beer’s depiction of the crucifixion and Cranach the Elder’s paintings in this room, they share the same tone. The colours are bright, and the scenes are peopled by figures whose anatomy and proportions seem mannered. Northern European Renaissance The paintings in this room are examples of Northern European Renaissance art, and unlike Italian Renaissance art it is far removed from classical Antiquity, favouring mannered proportions and distinctive ideals of beauty instead.