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The free online research database dedicated to works and archival documents related to Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 – 1553), his sons and their workshop.

Unrestricted access to comprehensive documentation and the results of interdisciplinary art historical, historical, technical and scientific research.

„In seiner Erschließungstiefe ist das Digitale Cranach Archiv ohne Vergleich.“

Handelsblatt

"The future of Cranach scholarship is not on paper, but in the form of the Cranach Digital Archive."

The Art Newspaper

„Wenige Mausklicks genügen, und sie können vom heimischen Schreibtisch aus forschen.“

Focus

„Mit dieser mustergültigen Plattform hat der auf Herrschaftswissen basierende Oeuvrekatalog ausgedient.“

Handelsblatt

„Fantastisch ist das Projekt auch, weil Cranach selbst es wirklich zu schätzen gewusst hätte.“

Frankfurter Rundschau

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Lucas Cranach

Lucas Cranach the Elder embodies the ideals of Renaissance man active not only as a painter and printmaker, but also as an entrepreneur and politician.

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Critical Catalogue of Luther portraits (1519 - 1530)

A high-profile research project, a cooperation between the Germanische Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the TH Cologne is examining the authenticity of the Luther portraits.

Enter Critical Catalogue

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News

26 May 2026

Prints and Drawings - now online available!

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Interdisciplinary and interinstitutional

The Cranach Digital Archive shows that cooperation can broaden the scope for the assessment and interpretation of art works.

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Research

In collaboration with partner institutions, the Cranach Digital Archive team examined 260 drawings, 1,140 paintings and 2,200 prints from 177 collections, using art-historical and art-technological research methods.

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The cda in figures

2,570 paintings and illuminations
   330 drawings and painted studies
   640 printed works with
          3,300 impressions
1,340 archival documents

38.400 high resolution images
10.500 text pages in German and English
  1.110 additional pdf-documents
  4.800 bibliographical references
  1.900 infrared reflectograms
     800 x-radiographs 
            and many more

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Our Partners

An initiative by the Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf and Cologne University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with and more than 449 museums, libraries, research institutions, church communities and private collections in 35 countries.

 

Funded by:

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Contact us

Do you have a question? We would like to help.

 

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