Godfather of the Reformation

Alexander Lee

ON 7 JUNE 1526, LUCAS CRANACH STOOD beside Martin Luther and a crying baby in Wittenberg City Church. The child, Luther’s first son— known as “Little Hans” — had been born earlier that day and Cranach had been asked to be the godfather. Cranach was a natural choice. Then well into his fifties, he was one of the family’s dearest friends. He had even introduced Luther to his wife. But Luther’s request also had a deeper symbolism. More than any other artist, Cranach had shaped the Reformation’s “look”. His panel paintings and printed images had forged the visual imagination of the new movement and crafted its identity. If Luther was the Reformation’s father, then — in a very real sense — Cranach was its godfather. So how did he do it?…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, June 2024

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