Painting of man in black robe with blue background and inscription
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

Portrait of a light-skinned man facing toward the viewer’s right. He has ear-length, curly gray hair, a furrowed brow, wrinkles, brown eyes, a large nose, and a round, dimpled chin. He wears a black robe with a red and white collar. The middle of the collar has a tied black cord. Behind the man is a solid blue background. At the top of the painting is the inscription “D. MARTINUS LUTHERUS.” with another line of smaller, less legible text beneath. To the left of the man is another inscription in small print reading “1546” just above a small curly shape.

Gallery Text

Inscribed with Cranach’s signature winged snake and a date of 1546, this is the last official portrait of Martin Luther, the former priest of Wittenberg and catalyst of the Protestant Reformation. Cranach and Luther were close friends: the artist arranged Luther’s marriage to Katherine von Bora, while Luther was godfather to Cranach’s daughter Anna. Fifteen painted portraits survive. This painting is dominated by strong contour lines that define the edges of Luther’s body and the features of his face. Strands of hair are painted individually, and wrinkles are drawn with gray lines. With its solid blue background and textual inscriptions, the image negates any sense of illusionistic space. Its abstract qualities would have made the image easy to copy, as well as underscored the portrait’s iconic function. Cranach’s workshop also produced printed portraits of Luther, which circulated widely, further spreading Luther’s fame and reputation.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1955.164
People
Workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder, German (1472 - 1553)
Title
Martin Luther
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
painting
Date
1546
Places
Creation Place: Europe, Germany
Culture
German
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/228851

Location

Location
Level 2, Room 2540, European Art, 13th–16th century, The Renaissance
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
64.8 x 48.9 cm (25 1/2 x 19 1/4 in.)
frame: 92.3 x 78 cm (36 5/16 x 30 11/16 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: upper center: D. MARTINVS LVTHERVS / NATCEBATUR LILEBRAE ANNO AMATO SALVATORE MCCCCLXXXXI, V[ ]DECIMO ANTE CALENDAS NOVEMBRIS HORA X POSTMERIDIEM
  • inscription: left center: 1546 / [dragon with wings folded]

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Charles Fairfax Murray, London, by 1914, sold; to Meta and Paul J. Sachs, 1914, gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1955

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Meta and Paul J. Sachs
Accession Year
1955
Object Number
1955.164
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Edgar Peters Bowron, European Paintings Before 1900 in the Fogg Art Museum: A Summary Catalogue including Paintings in the Busch-Reisinger Museum, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 1990)
  • Mark Kishlansky, Civilization in the West, Harper Collins (US) (New York NY, 1991), detail repr. in color, vol. I, p. 397
  • Joseph Koerner, "L'Image dans la Reforme et les pratiques de la croyance moderne", Cahiers du Musée National d'Art Moderne (Winter 1998), no. 66, pp. 94-124, repr. p. 94
  • Mark Kishlansky, Civilization in the West, Longman Publishers (New York, NY, 1998), repr. in color, vol. I, p. 417
  • Mark Kishlansky, Civilization in the West, Addison-Wesley Longman (New York, NY, 2000), repr. in color, vol. I, p. 437
  • Mark Kishlansky, Civilization in the West, Longman Publishers (New York, NY, 2003), repr. in color, p. 414
  • Rachel M. McCleary and Robert J. Barro, The Wealth of Religions: The Political Economy of Believing and Belonging, Princeton University Press (Princeton, 2019), p. 19, repr. as fig. 2.1

Exhibition History

  • Northern European Art from 1450 to 1550, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 08/13/1994 - 02/05/1995
  • 32Q: 2540 Renaissance, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

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Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu