Lucas Cranach: From German Myth to Reformation

This captivating biography brings Lucas Cranach the Elder into the spotlight for the twenty-first century. The illuminating narrative unveils an artist whose vision transcended personal brilliance as he sought to elevate a nascent nation and foster a sense of community with his work. Perhaps Cranach’s most remarkable achievement lay in forging a robust Lutheran community, endowed with a resounding message of salvation.

Using prints, the prevailing medium of mass communication, and multiple versions of paintings, he developed an intricate and appealing symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Along with Cranach’s more well-known works, Jennifer Nelson explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes, and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalized his patrons but constructed a deep history of Germany’s notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.