Signed with a dragon and dated 1543
Provenance:
• Louis I of Bavaria (1786-1868), Nuremberg;
• sold in 1832 to Albert Reindel (1784-1853), director of the Nuremberg Academy;
• inherited by...
read moreSigned with a dragon and dated 1543
Provenance:
• Louis I of Bavaria (1786-1868), Nuremberg;
• sold in 1832 to Albert Reindel (1784-1853), director of the Nuremberg Academy;
• inherited by his son, Jacob Reindel, then acquired by Carl Haag (1820-1915) in 1858;
• private collection
A powerful clear and pronounced stroke, an attractive and neutral background and the use of uniform light, are all characteristics that form the basis of 16th century German portrait painting. An initiator of this style, Cranach portrays the moral essence of his model with clarity and concision: an amiable and benevolent man, but also a thinker concerned with doctrine and faith.
Burgomaster of Wittenberg and painter by appointment to the Court of Saxony, Cranach formed a friendship with the humanists of the Reform very early on, becoming their appointed portrait painter. These official portraits were executed with the purpose of sending them to the numerous German courts attracted by Protestantism. Today, these paintings have gone down in posterity and are looked upon as ‘icons’ of the Reform.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was one of the most eminent German theologians behind the protest movement that shook the Church in the 16th century. An Augustine monk and a doctor in theology, he was awarded the chair of Holy Scriptures at the University of Wittenberg, where he began teaching the Epistles of Saint Paul in 1515.
Highly preoccupied with the idea of salvation, he protested against the trafficking of indulgences, recognised by the Catholic Church, and published his 95 Theses, considered as the starting point of the Reformation. Condemned by the papacy in 1520, he was banished from the German Empire in 1521 but taken in by the Elector of Saxony, who became one of the most ardent defenders of the Protestant faith. Thanks to this official protection, Luther dedicated the rest of his life to structuring and defending his work that was the source of the immense religious upheaval known as the Reformation.
A pupil at the University of Heidelberg, Philippe Melanchthon (1497-1560) studied philosophy before dedicating himself to theology, under the influence of Erasmus. As a master of studies, he created the idea of a form of Christianity different from the scholastic theology taught at university. In conflict with the University of Tübingen, he left his position for a post as professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg. Highly esteemed by Luther, he continued the work of his ‘spiritual father’. Defending Luther, while moderating his thoughts before the Roman Catholic Church, Melanchthon laid the basis for the reformed doctrine of Christianity, in the form of discussions around the Epistle to the Romans. Founded on the texts of Luther, the Augsburg Confession remains his work of reference. The basis of Lutheranism, this doctrine is the fruit of the collaboration of two men who, throughout their career, devoted themselves to loyalty and respect.
Portraitist of the greatest figures of his century, Cranach the Elder once again proves his talent here. Initiator of a style that would influence numerous artists, Lucas Cranach seduced the greatest collectors and artists over the centuries starting with Pablo Picasso, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Paul Wunderlich. Featuring in the collection of the orientalist painter Carl Haag, these two portraits were bought from the heirs of Albert Reindel, who had acquired them during the sale of Louis I of Bavaria’s collection.
Kronach 1472 – Weimar 1553
Lucas Cranach was one of the pillars of artistic creation in the north-east of Germany during the first half of the 16th century. With Hans Holbein the Younger and...
read moreKronach 1472 – Weimar 1553
Lucas Cranach was one of the pillars of artistic creation in the north-east of Germany during the first half of the 16th century. With Hans Holbein the Younger and Albrecht Dürer, he is considered to be one of the main representatives of the German Renaissance.
Both a painter and engraver, and a friend of Martin Luther and numerous humanists, he successfully painted religious and mythological scenes, portraits and female nudes which he often identified with Lucretia or Venus. Until 1498, he studied with his father, Hans, who influenced the beginning of his career. He then travelled to Vienna, where it seems he settled in 1500.
The first known works of the artist date from this period; they are religious scenes whose vivid and expressive colours show proof of his creative power. In 1505, he became court painter for the Electors of Saxony. He decorated their castles, painted their portraits and those of their wives, executed altarpieces and also painted profane subjects. In 1508, Elector Frederick of Saxony granted Cranach his coat of arms with a winged serpent, which became the artist’s signature. His sons, Hans and Lucas the Younger, were among his assistants. Loyally imitating his style, they played a major role in the works produced by his studio.
Apart from a visit to the Netherlands in 1508, the master resided almost uninterruptedly in Wittenberg. As an important citizen, he sat on the town’s assembly in 1519 and acted as burgomaster in 1537 and 1540. Despite the numerous influences that marked his era, his work remained faithful to the gothic traditions.
