Cranach Lucas the Elder (1472-1553)
German painter and renaissance timeline. Most of his life he worked in Wittenberg at the court of the Saxon elector Frederick the Wise and his successors. He created altar compositions, painted pictures on biblical and mythological subjects, genre scenes, hunting scene. Known as a great craftsman portrait genre.
He was a close friend of Martin Luther, painted his portraits, created works that expressed the ideas of the Reformation. IN later work Cranach, features are growing that anticipate the European mannerism of the 1530s-50s: mannered and cutesy images, made by order of the nobility and in in large numbers breeding workshop of the artist. He worked in engraving, one of the first in Europe began to create color prints.
Lucas Cranach The elder was born in 1472 in the town of Kronach in Upper Franconia (the northern part of present-day Bavaria) in the family of the painter Hans Müller, known only by reference. He studied painting with his father. Having mastered the basics of the craft, the young artist left parental home. Seeking recognition in the 1490s he traveled the Danube lands and in 1500 settled in Vienna. Here Cranach painted the first paintings that have come down to us (“The Crucifixion”, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”). In Vienna, the artist paints his first portraits ("I. Kuspinian").
In 1505, Cranach received a position as a court painter at the court of the Elector of Saxony Frederick the Wise in Wittenberg. Along with the due privileges, Cranach received a number of duties: he accompanied his master on the hunt, participated in tournaments and festivities, and in 1508 was even sent on a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I.
During the 45 years he lived in Wittenberg, Cranach turned from a rootless wandering painter into the richest resident of the city, a highly respected member of the city government, who was twice elected burgomaster. He maintained a large workshop, was the owner of several houses and land, a pharmacy, a bookshop and a printing house. Cranach married the daughter of a wealthy Wittenberg brewer, thereby increasing his wealth.
In the first few years of court service, Cranach was mainly engaged in engravings. He was one of the first European engravers who began to create color prints ("Adam and Eve"), which were printed from two boards: one gave a black drawing, the other a colored background. the only painting of this period became the "Altar of St. Catherine". Only after the Dutch trip Cranach again turned to painting, working in its various genres. These are large altars for Saxon churches (“Princely Altar”), and paintings on biblical themes (“The Nativity of Christ”), and mythological compositions (“Venus and Cupid”, “The Nymph of the Source”, “The Judgment of Paris”), and genre scenes , and hunting scenes ("Hunting for deer").
From the 1510s in the work of Cranach, features are growing that anticipate the European mannerism of the 1530s-50s: mannered and cutesy images, made by order of the nobility and reproduced in large numbers by the artist’s workshop (“The Source Nymph”, “The Judgment of Paris”).
Throughout his life, Cranach remained a remarkable master of the portrait genre. His portraits were very popular. Cranach's models were Saxon electors and members of their families, nobles, church and science figures ("I. Schöner"). A special place among the images created by the artist is occupied by portraits of Martin Luther and his associate Melanchthon, which are considered the only images of them. The great reformer himself played an important role in the life of Cranach. Their acquaintance took place in the early 1520s. and soon developed into a close friendship. Having accepted the teachings of Luther, Lucas becomes a "painter of the Reformation": he creates paintings and engravings expressing the ideas of the Reformation, illustrates Luther's writings, paints his portraits ("Portrait of Martin Luther"). At the same time, among his regular customers was Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg - an ardent supporter catholic church("Portrait of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg").
After the death of Frederick the Wise, the artist remained at the court of his brother Johann the Hard (Constant). He became a mentor to his son, Johann Friedrich, who later received the nickname "Magnanimous". Cranach was at the head of the Saxon embassy that arrived at Elector John III the Peacemaker to woo his daughter, Princess Sibylla of Cleves, to Prince Johann Friedrich. In the future, it was Sibylla who became the model for numerous Cranach female characters, mythological and biblical ("Adam and Eve", "Venus and Cupid", "Lucretia").
In 1550, Elector Johann Friedrich, who had fallen out of favor with Emperor Charles V, was taken prisoner and then sent into exile. Faithful to his pupil to the end, Cranach follows him first to Augsburg and then to Weimar.
October 16, 1553 Lucas Cranach died.
Cranachs
(Cranach) - the nickname of two German artists, real name which was Müller (and not Zunder, as previously assumed).
1) Lucas Cranach the Elder, famous painter and engraver, b. in Kronach, in upper Franconia, in October 1472. He received his initial art education from his father, how did he go further development- unknown. Since 1504, he lived in Wittenberg, being the court painter of Elector Frederick the Wise, who gave him the nickname Cranach and elevated him to noble dignity. On behalf of the Elector, in 1509, he traveled to the Netherlands and painted there a portrait of the young Prince Charles, later Emperor Charles V. He took an ardent part in the reform movement, scourging the abuses of the papacy in his paintings and engravings and distributing portraits of his friends, Luther and Melanchthon. The successors of Frederick the Wise, Johann the Constant and Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, also treated the artist with great favor. In the same way, he enjoyed the trust and honor of his fellow citizens: in 1519 and 1537 he was elected to the treasurer of the city council, in 1540 - to the mayor. In 1550, he went to Augsburg to the Elector Johann-Friedrich, who was held captive there, and two years later, together with the latter, he moved to Weimar, where he died on 16 October. 1553 Works by Cranach relating to early period his activities extending up to 1520, for a long time were attributed to Grunewald (for example, "The rest of the Holy Family on the way to Egypt" - near Fiedler, in Munich, the altarpiece - in the church of St. Mary in Torgau, as well as some images in other churches and paintings in various German museums). They show the artist's dependence on the Franconian school: the composition is more thoughtful and majestic than in his subsequent works; the execution is more free and final, the coloring is warmer and more golden. The works of Cranach relating to 1520-1530 have a transitional character. The later style of the master, which is best known to us as own works, and according to the works of his students and imitators, is distinguished by the confidence of a somewhat dry and angular drawing and the routine of the composition; his male types are sometimes full of nobility, but sometimes approach caricature; female types, with their narrow waists, square heads and slanting eyes, do not fit the concept of Greek or Italian beauty. Not entirely satisfactory in his paintings and aerial perspective, and the timid reception of a sleek overlay of paints. But these shortcomings are redeemed by the comprehensibility of his work and the attractiveness of a naive-poetic understanding of nature. Best of all, he succeeded in images with a small number of figures. Cranach's portraits, in their simplicity and naive immediacy, occupy the first place. From religious paintings Cranach, in addition to the above, the most worthy of attention: "The Mother of God" (in the church of St. Jacob, in Innsbruck); "Our Lady with a Vine" (in Munich Pinakot.); "White Madonna" (in the Königsberg Cathedral); "Our Lady under the Apple Tree" and "Our Lady in the Vineyard" (both in the Imperial Hermitage, no. 459 and 460), several images of Adam and Eve under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (in Berlin, Dresden, Florence and other places), stories of Judith (in Gotha, Vienna, Dresden, etc.), "The Whore before Christ" (in Munich, Nuremberg, Kassel and Pest), etc. Some of Cranach's compositions are of cultural and historical significance, as they are performed in the spirit of Protestantism. From the mythological works of Cranach "Venus with Cupid", "Cupid with bees" and "Hercules with a spinning wheel", written by himself, or just released from his workshop, are repeated in many copies. He also painted genre paintings and hunting scenes. Portraits by Cranach, large and small, are common in many collections. Such, for example, are the portraits of Electors Luther, his wife, Melanchthon, Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg (in the Imperial Hermitage, 462) and "Sibyl, Elector of Saxony" (ibid., No. 464). Cranach's very few engravings on copper (for example, portraits of Electors and Luther and St. John Chrysostom) testify to his unaccustomedness to works of this kind. On the contrary, there are numerous woodcuts made in his workshop. CRANACCH at one time had a great influence on painting.
dream schools in central and northern Germany. Wed Heller, "L. Cranachs Leben und Werke" (Bamberg, 1821); Schuchardt, "L. Cranachs des Aelteren Leben und Werke" (Lpts., 1851-1871, 3 vols.); Warnecke, "Lucas Cr. d. Aeltere" (Girl, 1879); M. B. Linden, "Lucas Cr." (Lpts., 1883).
2. Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586), son and pupil of the previous one, historical and portrait painter. His drawing is weaker than that of his father, the coloring is softer and richer in nuances. The works of Cranach the Younger are in the churches of Wittenberg and in many art galleries. The best of them: "The Sermon of John the Baptist", in the Brunswick gallery
At the XXXIV Antique Salon in Moscow, Lucas Cranach's Madonna with Angels from a private collection is on display. We talk about the master of the Renaissance in the section "Artist of the Week"
Lucas Cranach the Elder. One of the most popular German masters of the 16th century. The representative of Renaissance art, the court painter of Elector Frederick the Wise, a follower of Alfred Dürer and Hieronymus Bosch, was born on October 4, 1472 in the town of Kronach, whose name was later transformed into the artist's surname.
Cranach's father and grandfather were also painters, and he learned the basics of the craft under the guidance of his father, Hans Müller, whose name is preserved only in indirect references.
There is no exact information about the years of childhood and youth of Lucas Cranach, but experts suggest a lot with a high degree of probability. According to the custom of that time, having completed his initial training in his father's workshop, in the 1490s - 1500s, he most likely sets off on a trip to the Danube region. His early works suggest that he was in Bavaria - they feel familiar with the work of the Bavarian masters.
In 1500-1504 Cranach lives in Vienna. Here he gets acquainted with the work of Albrecht Dürer, which has such a noticeable influence on him that, for example, early work Cranach "Adam and Eve" entered the the Uffizi gallery V late XVI century precisely as a work of Dürer; later, Cranach's authorship was confirmed, as was the fact that he used Dürer's composition of the same name to write this work.
By the beginning of the 1500s, the earliest works that have come down to us, signed with the name Lucas Cranach,- religious scenes, landscapes, portraits ("The Crucifixion", "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" (1504, Art Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem), "Pair wedding portrait of Dr. Johann Cuspinian"). These works are somewhat chaotic, they do not yet have those small parts and multifaceted composition, which will be inherent in the paintings of Cranach in the future.
In 1505, Cranach enters the service of Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, at whose court in Wittenberg he will spend most his life (about 45 years) as a court painter. Friedrich the Wise, dreaming of making Wittenberg big cultural center, highly appreciates the artist. Perhaps this is facilitated by common religious aspirations - both of them support the Reformation and are familiar with Martin Luther. Cranach's acquaintance with Luther took place in the early 1520s and soon developed into a close friendship. Having accepted the teachings of Luther, Lucas becomes a "painter of the Reformation": he creates paintings and engravings expressing the ideas of the Reformation, illustrates Luther's writings, paints his portraits ("Portrait of Martin Luther").
In 1508, Cranach was granted the nobility and personal coat of arms: on the shield - a snake (dragon) with wings bat, then turned into a dragon with bird wings. The coat of arms became his personal signature and later the mark of his workshop. In the same year, Frederick sends Cranach with diplomatic mission to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in the Netherlands, where he will stay until 1509. There is nothing surprising in such an assignment: at that time, court artists often alternated creativity with diplomacy and achieved success in both fields (a textbook example is the diplomatic career of Rubens).
In the Netherlands, Cranach gets to know the work of Hieronymus Bosch (and even writes a copy of it). famous work « Last Judgment”), is influenced by Geertgen Tott and van der Goes. After this trip, altar images, images of the Madonna appear in Cranach's work in large numbers. In addition to portraits, he begins to paint commissioned office paintings in a small format. The first appeals of the master to the plots and heroes belong to the same time. ancient mythology. In 1509 he writes "Venus and Cupid" - the first in Northern Europe nude image ancient goddess(before him, only Eve was written like that). For Cranach himself, this is the first attempt to depict a naked body, and even life-size. In this work, the Renaissance attitude to beauty is combined with Lutheran rigor and didacticism. The inscription in Latin warns the viewer: "Drive Cupid's voluptuousness with all your might, otherwise Venus will take possession of your blinded soul."
Upon his return from the Netherlands, Cranach profitably marries the daughter of the richest Wittenberg brewer and builds own house. The benevolence of those in power, high fees and considerable income from shops received as a dowry for his wife, by the age of forty, turn a wandering rootless painter into a wealthy respected well-born citizen, owner of land, houses, his own workshop (from where the paintings of the sons and followers of the artist come from, created based on his motives and signed with his monogram - a winged dragon) and printing houses, where engravings from his works are replicated. Over time, Cranach becomes a member of the city council, three times in different time acts as his treasurer, and in 1537 he was elected the ruling burgomaster of Wittenberg.
In the 1510s and 30s he concentrated on painting portraits, as well as genre paintings- mainly mythological and biblical stories. From under his brush, more and more refined and mannered to please numerous customers, endless "Adam and Eve", "Judith", "Magdalene", "Bathsheba" descend - plots where it was possible to depict a naked body, exquisite clothes and backgrounds. These cabinet paintings are intended to decorate interiors in the homes of nobles or patricians. It is no coincidence that Cranach chooses for them such themes as "Venus", "Lucretia", "The Judgment of Paris", "Unequal Pair", corresponding to the tastes of high-ranking customers.
In the second half of his life, Cranach is less involved in art itself - almost all of his time is taken up with diplomatic missions. However, it also brings unexpected results. In 1526, Cranach, at the head of an embassy, went to the court of Elector John III the Peacemaker to conclude a preliminary marriage contract between Prince Johann Friedrich and the 14-year-old daughter of John III, Sibylla of Cleves. This trip turned out to be successful for European politics (the wedding took place in 1527), and especially for the history of world art: Cranach created many portraits of Sibylla. It was she who gave her appearance to the typical appearance of a Cranach woman - a tall blonde, with almond-shaped eyes, a sharp chin, and elongated body outlines. Such were his numerous biblical (Eve, Judith, Mary), hagiographic (Lucretia) and mythological (Venus) characters.
In old age, Cranach does not work much, but the number of paintings signed by his sign - the winged dragon, does not decrease. His workshop is very fruitful, in which he carries out general leadership. Become established masters of his sons Hans Cranach and Lucas Cranach Jr. After the death of their father, they will take over the leadership of the workshop.
For my long life Cranach managed to visit the court painter at the courts of three electors, was a diplomat, politician, valet. After the death of Frederick the Wise, who has no direct heirs, Cranach remains at the court of his brother, Johann the Hard, and even becomes a mentor to his son, Johann Friedrich, who later received the nickname Generous. It is known that when Johann Friedrich was captured by Emperor Charles V, Cranach begged the emperor for a merciful attitude towards his pupil. Later, at the request of Johann Friedrich, the already very elderly artist joined him in Augsburg, lived nearby for several months and, after his release in 1552, accompanied him to Weimar.
Cranach, who outlived Hans Holbein the Younger by 10 years and Dürer and Grunewald by 25, can rightfully be called the last representative of the “great generation” of the Northern Renaissance.
Lucas Cranach the Elder left a grandiose creative legacy, in which all the main features of the phenomenon that later art historians will call the "Danube school", and Cranach himself - one of its founders, are clearly visible. The Danube school of painting is a direction in painting and graphics in southern Germany and Austria in the first half of the 16th century, which is characterized by a break with craft tradition, freedom of imagination, emotionality, interest in nature, fantastic characters, space, light and color, dynamic composition, choppy and sharp lines of the pattern.
Today, the images of Cranach, created 500 years ago, are recognizable and quite popular: fashionable outfits his secular portraits are copied by re-enactors and just lovers of antiquity, and an animated picture based on the plot “Adam and Eve” repeatedly developed by Cranach flaunted on the screen saver popular series"Desperate Housewives".
Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder, Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 1472-1553) was born in Kronach in Northern Franconia ( later artist used the name of his birthplace as his last name), his father Hans Mayer was an artist and initially taught his son the art of drawing. Where Cranach continued his artistic education is not known for certain, but it is believed that he worked in Bamberg and Aschaffenburg, and also worked in Vienna in 1500-1503.
In 1504, Duke Frederick III, Elector of Saxony (also known as Frederick the Wise) offered Cranach a position. Cranach assumed this position and served at court all his life. Cranach performed the duties of a decorative artist, painted portraits, altars, was engaged in woodcuts, engravings, and also developed coins. Until 1508 he painted part of the altar wall in the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Since 1508, Cranach replaced his initials in the paintings with a seal in the form of a snake, and he put it not only on his works, but also on the art of his students he liked as a symbol of approval. Frederick the Wise granted Cranach permission to sell medicines in Wittenberg, the artist had licenses to sell wines, and was several times elected a member of the Wittenberg city council. Interestingly, his pharmacy operated until 1871, after which it burned down in a fire. In 1508, he traveled with the Elector's diplomatic service to the Netherlands, where he met with the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I at the swearing-in ceremony of his successor, the eight-year-old Archduke Charles (later to become Charles V). He painted portraits for them. A few years later, Maximilian I commissioned Cranach (as well as Albrecht Dürer) to illustrate his prayer book.
Cranach (like Duke Frederick III) was friendly with the reformers at the earliest stage of the birth of the Protestant movement. Cranach first painted a portrait of Luther in 1520, when Luther was an Augustinian monk. As you know, five years later, Luther renounced his religious vows. Cranach was present at the engagement of Luther and Katharina von Bora, besides, he became godfather their first child in 1526
The death of Elector Frederick the Wise and Elector John did not change the position of Cranach at court; under John Frederick I, the artist twice became mayor of Wittenberg (in 1531 and 1540). He repeatedly proved his loyalty to the Dukes of Saxony. Cranach ceased to be court painter after the defeat of Elector Johann Frederick I at the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547. In 1550 he followed the duke, who was imprisoned by Emperor Charles V. Johann Friedrich was released in 1552 and returned north, Cranach followed him. A year later, the artist died in Weimar.
First picturesque paintings Cranach were created on religious themes. But still, the artist was fond of engravings, so he was not as prolific as, for example, Albrecht Dürer. He paid a lot of attention to the black outline on a white background without the use of chiaroscuro, perhaps that is why he did not have a brilliant ability to master color, light and shadow.
At the next stage of his work, portraits became his main works. Thanks to him, we now know what the leaders of the Reformation looked like. He painted Martin Luther, his wife and children. He carried out a huge number of orders from princely and courtiers, as well as many representatives of the Catholic Church (Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz, Duke of Alba, etc.). It is known that in 1532 Cranach received an order from Frederick III and his brother John for 60 portraits, it is quite understandable why many of these paintings are not High Quality. Paintings of religious themes reflected the development of the Protestant Reformation. He created a number of paintings in the "Lutheran" manner, where he depicted Christ in the traditional way, and the apostles without a halo and with the faces of reform leaders. His hand also belongs to propaganda engravings directed against the papacy and the Catholic clergy.
Oddly enough, in the Cranes he introduced the fashion for small paintings With mythological plots. They were somewhat naive in composition, the figures were thin and elongated, the female nature was almost always naked, or slightly draped with fabric, heroines in wide headdresses are especially common. The same manner can be traced in the paintings on biblical subjects. In his later works in the nude style, you can trace the influence Italian art of that era: seductive poses, small heads, narrow shoulders, high chest and waist.
Lucas Cranach the elder left us a great artistic heritage, some of his paintings are found in several copies or versions. This is explained by the fact that the artist developed a method that allowed him to quickly create paintings: both of his sons Hans Cranach and Lucas Cranach the Younger worked in his workshop, who actively participated in writing portraits and plots, the works were signed with the seal of Lucas Cranach the Elder. It is known that the artist had three more daughters. After his father's death, Cranach's sons continued to create versions of his paintings, and it is now quite difficult to determine the authorship of some of them for certain.
crucifixion
Lady (wife of law professor Johann Reuss)
Dr. Johann Kuspinian
Repentance of Saint Jerome
Rest on the flight to Egypt
Altar of St. Catherine (Left and right wing)
Saint Christopher
St. George
Pilate washing his hands
Venus and Cupid
Repentance of Saint Jerome
Judgment of Paris
Saint Andrew the First-Called
Saint Bartholomew
Prince of Saxony
Madonna and Child
Martin Luther
Martin Luther as a monk
Portrait of a young man
Adam and Eve
Madonna and Child under the Apple Tree
Portrait of a young woman
Princess Sibylla of Cleves
Allegory of Melancholy
Deer hunt of Elector Frederick the Wise
Personality Lucas Cranach the Elder does not fit into the concept of a romantic lone hero who is inspired by beautiful ladies, and in free time thinking about pure love. The German Renaissance painter was mainly attracted by the causes of the Reformation, the ideas of Protestantism, and thoughts about a high and bright feeling were replaced by thoughts about art.
Lucas's love for creativity was in his genes, the young painter continued the dynasty of artists that his grandfather, and then his father, Hans Mayer, began. He also became the first mentor of his son, who decided to follow the beaten path to art.
Coming out from under the warm father's wing, Lucas went on a journey through Germany, traditional for novice painters. And if you carefully study the works of Cranach the Elder, you can draw up an original "map" of his creative route. So, we know that the painter began his "marathon" in Bavaria, where, under the influence of local masters, he painted his first works. From there, Lucas moved to Austria, and a little later ended up in Vienna, whose mountain landscapes, lakes and valleys remained forever imprinted on the artist's canvases.
In these picturesque regions, he lingered for five years and during this time he wrote many works that became popular almost immediately, as soon as they left the author's brush. Of course, during the years of the creation of the paintings "Crucifixion", "Stigmatization of St. Francis" and "Repentance of St. Jerome" there was no question of an ideal perspective construction. Moreover, the compositions were overloaded with details, and the drawing looked as if it consisted of curly, chaotic lines. But the master did win-win bet on the image of nature, believing that its uniqueness lies in the secrets of the universe hidden in it.
On early stages creative development Cranach the Elder showed himself to be a bold innovator: his canvases showed a daring plausibility of images, asymmetric composition and expressive color solutions. It is no coincidence that the paintings of the Vienna period led Cranach's contemporaries to the idea that in European art a new painter has appeared who knows how to feel the landscape keenly.
At the same time, in later works, the fabulously idyllic manner of depiction and the poetic perception of nature receive the “palm”. In a word, objective reality gradually gave way to a romantic vision of the world. Later, similar principles formed the basis of the Danubian school of painting, in the spirit of which the painting “Rest on the Flight into Egypt” was painted in 1504. This canvas received the fame of "jewelry drawing" and became good example for those who have just mastered new directions of the landscape.
By this time, the artist was mastered by the ideas of humanism. The reason was communication with scientists, mathematicians, physicians and historians, with whom Cranach spoke in Vienna, one of the centers humanistic culture where science flourished. The ideals of the progressive direction were realized in the paintings "Venus and Cupid" and "The Martyrdom of St. Catherine."
"Venus and Cupid" was written at a time when the painter was acutely aware of the rapid changes in fashion and tastes of his era. In 1509, while working on Venus and Cupid, Cranach the Elder deliberately abandoned all colors except yellow and gold, so the figures of the goddess and her son look like cast statues. The painting "Venus and Cupid" became experimental for Cranach, because before that the artist had never depicted naked bodies in full size. Having finished the work, the painter, as a warning to posterity, left a philosophical message that reads:
“With all your might drive away Cupid’s voluptuousness. Otherwise, Venus will take possession of your blinded soul.
If, while working on Venus, Cranach had to fairly “blush”, depicting naked figures, then when writing portraits, the modest artist took his soul and painted in detail the magnificent outfits of his sitters. The most famous portrait painting of the painter was dedicated to the Saxon Duke Henry the Pious and his wife Katherine of Mecklenburg. In his younger years, Heinrich collected cannons, and Cranach the Elder wiped them and cleaned them with his own hands. The picture was conceived as a ceremonial wedding image, so the spouses appear before the viewer in luxurious clothes against a black background, and next to them are their favorite pets, symbolizing fidelity: a huge dog at the feet of the duke and a lap dog near the duchess.
The turning point in the work of Cranach the Elder was the acquaintance with Martin Luther, the author of the famous theses. This friendship led to the fact that the artist switched sides from painting, and took the ideas of Protestantism as the basis for new subjects. In this spirit, three portraits of the church reformer were painted, the most famous of which was "Portrait of Martin Luther in the form of the knight Jorg."
Few people know that he spent some time in the Wartburg fortress, where he changed into secular clothes, grew a beard and began to call himself Jörg. Luther did not want to be caught, so he only told Cranach about his location in a letter, thus inspiring him to create a famous painting.
The artist was famous not only for his skillful work, but also for his conscientiousness. The main requirement that he was presented by customers and he - to himself, were the responsibility and solidity of work. Avoiding carelessness and haste, Cranach tried to find new types and schemes, and then polished the skill to the ideal.
Such a fanatical desire for perfection played with the artist bad joke: Lucas Cranach the Elder developed a virtuoso but stereotypical style of writing, and later the artist's art became monotonous and cutesy. In old age, the painter worked little, but his workshop continued to exist.
From now on, other representatives of the dynasty worked there - the brothers Hans and Lucas Cranach the Younger.
Lucas Cranach the Elder is a German Renaissance painter, a prominent representative of the Northern Renaissance, and also the founder of the Danube School of Painting.
As far as we remember, in the late Renaissance, especially among those representatives who were as far as possible from the warm shores of Italy, artistic images, due to some ethno-psychological circumstances, were gloomy, asymmetrical and very different from the luxurious muscular bodies represented in the Mediterranean painting of that period.
Cranach the Elder became known for his, one might say, special style, it is only his features that he brings to all his portrait works that distinguish his work from the rest. Each face depicted by Cranach looks menacingly like the next, and a mixture of realism and some kind of caricature brings something mystically alarming, so in general, it is quite difficult to call them attractive, but fascinating - you can. Northern Renaissance like a very large cultural phenomenon, main feature, had just this amazing combination of medieval tendencies of spiritual detachment of images with realistic innovations of the Renaissance. Anticipating the Baroque, artists became the founding fathers of caricature as a genre in fine arts, subtly connecting all this with the literary trends of that time. The times of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Baroque are considered very difficult for the history of Europe, as, in fact, any milestone period. Again, religion triumphed, the common people raged, and the artists caught, excuse me, from all this pleasure and found new imaginative ways out.
Cranach uses some techniques of building light and shadow, which later become the main feature of painting in the Baroque. Contrasting colors, deliberate underlining central figure, whitened light bodies, on a darkened background, such, even more realistic, techniques will be used, a little later, in another location - Caravaggio. However, as we can see, there are anticipatory discoveries, just the same, in the works of the northern painter, they are especially noticeable in nude portraits.
By the way, Lucas Cranach, at one time, was very fond of the work of Albrecht Dürer, but Cranach's contemporaries accused him of imitating and, so to speak, "not reaching" the level of an idol. But to judge? Us? Lucas Cranach? Thank you, taking such a sin on your soul is fraught with falling into the special circles of Hell, for self-satisfied hypocrites. In general, it is very difficult for us not to overestimate the role of this person in the history of painting. He founded one of the most prominent schools, continued with dignity the best traditions of the Northern Renaissance and became one of the most prominent representatives of his era.
"Altar Triptych of the Feilitsch Family"
"Melancholy"
"Lucretia"
"Ten Commandments"
"Feast of Herod"
"Adam and Eve"
Saxon princesses Sibylla, Emilia and Sidonia
"Venus and Cupid"
"Albrecht of Brandenburg as St. Jerome in a cell"
"Fountain of youth"
"Diana and Actaeon"
