Cranach the Elder

Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and graphic artist who shined in portraits and in female nudes. He was the foremost member of the family of artists by that name active in Saxony during the 16th century. From about 1501 to 1504 Cranach lived in Vienna, and his earliest known works date from this period. His work at this time, lyrical and spirited with landscape setting, was influenced by that of Albrecht Durer. In 1505 Cranach became court painter to the electors of Saxony at Wittenberg, a position he held until 1550. For his patrons he painted biblical and mythological scenes with decorative sensual nudes that were new to German painting. Cranach was a friend of Martin Luther, and his art expresses much of the spirit and feeling of the German Reformation. His portraits of Protestant leaders are sober and meticulously drawn. Cranach ran a large workshop and worked with great speed, producing hundreds of works.