European Painting before 1900, Johnson Collection Portrait of Martin Luther 1555 Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Younger, German (active Wittenberg) , 1515 - 1586 Oil on panel * Gallery 256, European Art 1500-1850, second floor Cat. 740 John G. Johnson Collection, 1917 |
LabelThe spread of Martin Luther’s (1483–1546) religious reforms, which led to the Protestant Reformation, generated an increasing demand for his likeness. Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) was a friend of Luther’s, and from the 1520s onward the artist, his workshop, and his son—Lucas Cranach the Younger—painted portraits of the theologian in numerous variations and replicas. This composition is based on a gray-haired depiction of Luther that Lucas Cranach the Elder first produced in the late 1530s.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
