Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach Elder (1472-1553), German Renaissance painter and graphic artist. He studied with his father. He worked in Austria (about 1500-1504), in Wittenberg at the court of the Elector of Saxony Frederick the Wise and his successors (1505-1550), in Augsburg (1550-1552) and Weimar (1552-1553).
Already in the first works, the artist showed himself to be a daring innovator. In compositions, he avoided the traditions of iconography, using more bright colors and expressive landscapes. An example of this style was "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" (1504) - a painting shining with color with jeweled characters.
When Cranach moved to Wittenberg, talented painter the ruling Elector of Saxony Friedrich the Wise noticed and brought him closer to his court. How real man Renaissance Cranach the Elder was a generalist. In addition to painting, he was jewelry, church utensils, developed styles of clothing, sketches of tapestries and fabrics, painted walls and decorated holidays.
In 1508, Cranach the Elder went to the Netherlands for a year, where he met Hieronymus Bosch, the most mystical artist of that time, and joined the Garden Brothers sect. The adherents of the sect dreamed of the return of the legendary Golden Age and professed complete freedom in love. Impressed by their ideas, in 1509 the artist announced the heyday of Northern Renaissance, for the first time in german art portraying a naked woman. True, while it was the goddess Venus. Yes, with his light hand in German painting appeared pre-Christian mythological themes and naked bodies.
In the 1510s, Cranach the Elder painted many cutesy portraits of the nobility and hunting scenes, becoming a legislator of mannerism. The heroes of his mythological scenes acquire a portrait resemblance to noble people who willingly pose for him, taking part in these picturesque productions. Characteristic for this period of creativity and exquisite cabinet pictures on religious themes, for example, "The Nativity of Christ."
Portraits of women by Cranach the Elder are hard to miss. His female images- fragile princesses with slanting cat eyes and sweet half-smiles.
In the 1520s, Cranach the Elder is one of the richest and most respected people in Wittenberg and therefore can afford some liberties. For example, to accept and even paint portraits of the scandalous religious reformer Martin Luther. These portraits are distributed among the people in thousands of engraved prints. In addition, Cranach illustrates and publishes Luther's "September Gospel" that thundered throughout Germany at his own expense.
Lucas Cranach the Younger "Portrait of a father" 1550
"Venus and Cupid" 1509, Hermitage, St. Petersburg
"Madonna and Child under an Apple Tree" 1526, State Hermitage
"The mystical betrothal of Saint Catherine to Saints Dorothea, Margaret and Barbara"
"Christ and the Mother of God"
"Princess Sibylla of Cleves" 1526, State Art Collection, Weimar
"Christ and the Sinner"
"Prince of Saxony" 1517, National Gallery of Art, Washington
"Adam and Eve" 1526, Courtauld Institute Gallery, London
"Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden"
"Adam and Eve"
"Christmas"
"Nursing Madonna"
"Melancholy" 1532
"Madonna and Child with St. Anne"
"Misalliance" 1532, National Museum, Stockholm
Throughout his life, Lucas Cranach the Elder remained a remarkable master of an acutely psychological, monumental portrait (“Doctor Johann Cuspinian”, 1502-1503, Oskar Reinhart Collection, Winterthur; “Johannes Schener”, 1529, Museum old art, Brussels). Of the paintings by Cranach on religious themes, the most noteworthy are: “The Mother of God” (St. Jacob's Cathedral, Innsbruck); "The Crucifixion of Christ" (Old Pinakothek, Munich); “Repentance of St. Jerome” (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna); “Madonna and Child under an Apple Tree” (Hermitage, St. Petersburg) and “Madonna in the Vineyard” (The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow), several images of Adam and Eve under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (in Berlin, Dresden, Florence and other places), the history of Judith (in Vienna, Dresden, Stuttgart, etc.), “The Harlot before Christ” (in Munich, Kassel, Nuremberg and Budapest) and others. Some of Cranach's compositions are of cultural and historical significance, as they are performed in the spirit of the Reformation and Protestantism.
"Repentance of St. Jerome" 1503
"Resting nymph" 1530-1535
"Judgement of Paris" 1512-1514
"Portrait young man" 1521
"Portrait of a Woman" 1526
"Hercules and Antaeus"
"Hercules at Omphala" 1537
"Young woman" 1530
"Venus and Cupid"
"Offended Cupid and Venus" 1530
"Apollo and Diana" 1530
"Crucifixion with Centurion" 1536
Paintings by Lucas Cranach with mythological themes “Venus with Cupid”, “Apollo and Diana”, “Cupid and the bees”, “Hercules with a spinning wheel” and others, created by himself, or came out of his workshop, are then repeated in many copies by the students of the artist’s workshop. Portraits by Cranach, large and small, were distributed in many collections and art collections in Europe. Such as, for example, portraits of the Electors, Luther, his wife, Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg and Elector Sibylla of Saxony. The German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder also painted princely hunting scenes and genre paintings. Cranach's very few engravings on copper (for example, portraits of electors, Martin Luther and St. John the Evangelist) testify to the artist's lack of inclination for works of this kind. On the other hand, numerous woodcuts made in his workshop enjoyed wide success with the German nobility and burghers. After the death of Frederick the Wise, the artist remained at the court of Johann the Hard, who replaced his brother on the throne. Lucas Cranach became the mentor of his son, Prince Johann Friedrich, later the future Elector of Saxony the Magnanimous. In 1550, Elector Johann Friedrich, who had fallen out of favor with Emperor Charles V, was taken prisoner and then sent into exile. Loyal to his pupil to the end, Lucas Cranach went to Augsburg in 1550 to the Elector Johann Friedrich, who was held captive there, and two years later, together with the latter, moved to Weimar, where he died on October 16, 1553. The artist Lucas Cranach died the last of the representatives of the great generation of masters of the German northern Renaissance, having outlived Hans Baldung and Hans Holbein the Younger by 10 years and Albrecht Dürer and Matthias Grunewald by 25. The work of Lucas Cranach at one time had a great influence on painting schools central and northern Germany.
"Doctor Johann Cuspinian" 1503
"Portrait of Anna Kuspinian" 1503
"Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony"
"Catherine Bora"
"Martin Luther"
"Portrait of Gerhart Volk"
"Portrait of a girl" (possibly Emilia of Saxony)
George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony
"Christ and the Samaritan Woman at the Spring"
"Allegory of melancholy" 1528
"Lot with Daughters"
"Johann the Hard, Elector of Saxony"
"Portrait of George Spalatin" 1509
"Judith with the Head of Holofernes"
"Prayer for the Chalice"
Translation of titles © koschey
Cranach Lucas the Elder (1472-1553)
German painter and graphic artist of the Renaissance. 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 in 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 he 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”, “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) is the nickname of two German artists whose real name 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
Lucas Cranach (1472-1553) - german artist, engraver.
Biography of Lucas Cranach the Elder
He was born in the town of Kronach and, apparently, got his last name from his name.
In his youth, the artist traveled along the Danube and visited Vienna, where he became interested in the work of Dürer, which, perhaps, had a certain influence on him.
In 1505, Cranach moved to Wittenberg and entered the service of Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. There he spent most own life.
In 1508, the elector gave Cranach a coat of arms (an image of a winged dragon), and in 1512 the artist married a girl from a noble family who bore him two sons.
Cranach was a highly respected citizen, since 1519 he was regularly elected to the city council, and later became burgomaster.
In this position, in 1523, he contributed to the organization of a printing house in Wittenberg. In the service of the elector, whose court adopted the humanistic ideas of his time, the artist was successful.
The work of Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas was a close friend of Martin Luther, whose doctrine he supported in his many drawings and woodcuts.
Soon Cranach was called the artist of the Reformation. He was a fast, prolific artist. Naive, whimsical, often clumsy in his engravings, he, however, had a fresh, original style, warm, rich palette.
Cranach's portraits are extremely successful.
Among the most famous works artist: "Repose in Egypt" ( state museum Berlin), "Judgment of Paris" (Karlsruhe exhibition hall), "Adam and Eve" (Kurtold Gallery, London), "Crucifixion" (Weimar). Among famous portraits in the biography of Lucas Cranach - John Frederick, self-portrait (Uffizi). Also, the artist was a perfect master of miniatures. He made several engraving boards, designs for woodcuts.
Lucas' son and pupil, Lucas Cranach the younger (1515–86), continued his father's tradition by adopting his workshop, signature, and also popularity. Their work is often indistinguishable.
Artist's work
- Hercules at Omphale
- Madonna under the apple tree. Detail_ Madonna's head
- Resting spring nymph
- Portrait of Duchess Catherine of Mecklenburg
- Portrait of a woman
- Portrait of John Friedrich, Elector of Saxony
- Portrait of Johann Geiler von Kaisenberg
- Portrait of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg against the backdrop of a landscape in the form of St. Jerome
- Portrait of a young man in a beret
- Christmas
- St. Anne with Mary and the Christ Child
Bibliography
- A . N . Nemilov, L. Cranach the Elder. (Album), M., 1973;
- L. Cranach der dltere. Der Künstler und seine Zeit, V., 1953;
- L. Cranach. Das gesamte graphische Werk, V., 1972;
- L. Cranach. Künstler und Gesellschaft, V ., 1973 ;
- Friedländer M . J ., Rosenberg J ., The paintings of L . Cranach, L., 1978.
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. German painter The Renaissance 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 more later works The “palm” is given to the fabulously idyllic manner of depiction and the poetic perception of nature. 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 keenly 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 away 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.
