Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon Umkreis von Lucas Cranach d. Ä.

A double portrait of the two most significant figures of the Wittenberg Reformation, Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560). Both reformers are depicted as half-length scholars against a neutral, warm-brown background, with open books and detailed Latin inscriptions that emphasise their identity and significance. The portraits follow the Cranach workshop’s characteristic combination of a representative approach to portraiture and concise physiognomic typification. In particular, the depiction of Luther with his striking head turned to the right, as well as Melanchthon’s ascetic, sharply defined facial features, corresponds to established Cranachian portrait types. From the 1520s onwards, the workshop produced numerous variations and repetitions of the reformers’ portraits, many of which have survived due to high demand. These panels can therefore be placed within the significant tradition of Cranach’s portraits of the reformers. | 15.-18. Jahrhundert | Gemälde | Nummer: 26x1868 | Provenance: Marcell von Nemes, München, (1866–1930), eines verso mit dem Etikett; Hugo Helbing, München, 2.11.1933, Los 5; Privatsammlung, Nordrhein-Westfalen (wohl bei Vorgenannter erworben, seither in Familienbesitz).

Estimate:£13,348.04

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