Portrait of Martin Luther

Portrait of Martin Luther

Title

Portrait of Martin Luther

[cda 2015]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz, revised 2015]

Half-length portrait of an elderly Martin Luther facing right against a blue background. Luther is wearing a beige coloured, sleeveless coat over a black robe. It is trimmed and lined with different types of fur. He holds a closed book in his hands. The painting is the central panel of

Half-length portrait of an elderly Martin Luther facing right against a blue background. Luther is wearing a beige coloured, sleeveless coat over a black robe. It is trimmed and lined with different types of fur. He holds a closed book in his hands. The painting is the central panel of a triptych. The wing panels display text blocks (each 66.5 x 30 cm) recording Luther's life in Vulgar Latin (see Interpretation/History/Discussion).

[Görres, cda 2015]

Attribution
Lucas Cranach the Younger

Attribution

Lucas Cranach the Younger

[Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz, revised 2015]

Production date
1547

Production date

1547

[dated]

Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 67 x 66 cm

Dimensions

  • Dimensions of support: 67 x 66 cm

  • [Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz, revised 2015]

Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia and date at the bottom right: winged serpent with dropped wings and date '1547'.

Signature / Dating

  • Artist's insignia and date at the bottom right: winged serpent with dropped wings and date '1547'.

  • [Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz, revised 2015]

Owner
Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz
Repository
Evangelische Kirchgemeinde Wörlitz
Location
Wörlitz
CDA ID
DE_EKW_NONE-EKW001
FR (1978) Nr.
FR-none
Persistent Link
https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKW_NONE-EKW001/

Literature

Reference on page Catalogue Number Figure / Plate
Melzer 2015 B 157
AuthorReinhard Melzer
TitleDer Cranach-Bestand des Gotischen Hauses
Publicationin Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz, ed., Cranach im Gotischen Haus in Wörlitz, Exhib. Cat. Wörlitz
Place of PublicationMunich
Year of Publication2015
Pages149-162
Show Literature
Exhib. Cat. Chemnitz 2005 58
EditorHarald Marx, Karin Kolb, Ingrid Mössinger
TitleCranach Anlässlich der Ausstellung Cranach vom 13. November 2005 bis 12. März 2006 in den Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz. Eine Ausstellung in Kooperation mit der Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Place of PublicationCologne
Year of Publication2005
Show Literature
Harksen 1939 10 9
AuthorMarie-Luise Harksen
TitleStadt, Schloss und Park Wörlitz
SeriesKunstdenkmalinventare des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt
Volume31
Place of PublicationBurg
Year of Publication1939
Show Literature

Research History / Discussion

The painting is the central panel of a triptych. The wing panels display text blocks (each 66.5 x 30 cm) recording Luther's life in Vulgar Latin.

Inscription of the left wing in golden letters on black paint:

'ANNO A NATALI CHRISTI 1483:

DIE DECIMA NOVEMBRIS HORA

VNDECIMA POST MERIDIEM CIR=

CA MEDIAM NOCTIS NATVS EST

IN OPPIDO ISLEBEN MARTI[=]

NVS LVTHERVS PARENTES HABV=

IT HONESTOS IOAHANNEM LV=

THER: ET MARGARITAM MATREM

QVORUM PIO CONSILIO FILIVS

CVM INDOI ES AD LITERAS ET

AD VIRTVTEM EGREGIA ESSET

PRIMVM IN SOHOLAM PVERIDEM

DEINDE IN ACCADEMIAM ET

FORDENSEM MISSVS EST.'

Inscription of the right wing in golden letters on black paint:

'ANNO A NATAL I CHRISTI

1517 PRIDIS EST OMNIVS

SANCTORVM PROPOSITIONIS

DE INDVI CENT[...]S VENALIEVS

EDIDIT MARTINVS LVTHERVS

THEOLOGICVS DOCTOR ADFIX=

AS FORIBVS TEMPLI QVOD A[...]

CI WITEBERGENSI CONTIGVVM

EST HIS EDITIS ILLVSTRATA

EST DOCTRINA DE POENITEN[=]

TIA ET DE REMISSIONE PECCA=

TORVM FIDE ACCIPIENDA PRO=

PTER FILIVM DEI POSTEA

LVX REDDITA EST MVLTIS ALI=

IS ARTICVLIS DOCTRINAE NECES[=]

SARIAE IN ECCLESIA DEI: ANNO

AVTEM A NATALI CHRISTI 1546

NOCTE QVAE SECVTA EST DI=

EM FEBRVARII XVII POST HO=

RAM TERTIAM QVAE PRAECED[...]

BAT DIEM FEBRVARII XVIII PIE

IN INVOCATIONE FILII DEI

DECESSIT EX HAC VITA CVM

VIXISSET ANNOS FERE LXIII'

[cda 2015]

  • Portrait of Martin Luther, 1547

Images

Compare images
  • overall
  • overall
  • overall
  • irr
  • detail

Technical studies

03. 2015Technical examination / Scientific analysis

  • Infrared reflectography
  • irr

Underdrawing

DESCRIPTION

Tools/Material:

- dry drawing material (dark chalk)

Type/Ductus:

- copied (traced) lines

- fine lines

Function:

- binding for the final painted version; lines delineate the main contours and define facial features; no representation of volume with hatching-strokes

Deviations:

- no alterations made during the painting process to clearly define form; no changes

INTERPRETATION

Attribution:

- Lucas Cranach the Younger

Comments:

- presumably transferred (traced) from a pre-existing design

[Sandner, Smith-Contini, Heydenreich, cda 2015]

  • photographed by Gunnar Heydenreich
  • photographed by Ingo Sandner

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

Entry with author
<author's name>, 'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKW_NONE-EKW001/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})
Entry with no author
'Portrait of Martin Luther', <title of document, data entry or image>. [<Date of document, entry or image>], in: Cranach Digital Archive, https://lucascranach.org/en/DE_EKW_NONE-EKW001/ (Accessed {{dateAccessed}})

Help us to improve the Cranach Digital Archive.

Please contact us, if you have noticed a mistake.