Lucas Cranach
Lucas Cranach (c. 1472 – 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker who worked at Wittenberg as court painter to the Electors of Saxony from 1505. A friend of Martin Luther, he painted Luther and his wife Katharina von Bora many times and so created the face of the Reformation; he was also a businessman who ran a large workshop, a pharmacy and a printing press, and mayor of Wittenberg. He is called Cranach the Elder to distinguish him from his son of the same name.
| Lived | c. 1472 – 1553 |
|---|---|
| Active in | Franconia (Kronach) · Vienna · Saxony (Wittenberg, Weimar) |
| Known for | Saxon court painter; portraits of Luther and the imagery of the Reformation |
| Game start | 1517 · age 45 · Court painter to the Elector of Saxony (commoner) — The Printer of Wittenberg |
Life at a glance
- c. 1472 Born at Kronach in Franconia, son of the painter Hans. The name Cranach comes from his home town.
- c. 1502 Working in Vienna, he paints a Crucifixion and portraits of humanists.
- 1505 Becomes court painter to Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony and moves to Wittenberg. In 1508 the Elector grants him a coat of arms with a winged serpent, which becomes the workshop's signature.
- c. 1512 Marries Barbara Brengbier.
- 1520 Engraves a copperplate portrait of Luther as a monk, and the same year obtains the licence for Wittenberg's pharmacy.
- 1522 Supplies woodcuts of the Book of Revelation for Luther's German New Testament (the “September Testament”), made after his return from the Wartburg.
- 1525 Stands witness at the wedding of Luther and Katharina von Bora on 13 June.
- 1537 Becomes mayor of Wittenberg. The same year his son Hans, also a painter, dies in Bologna.
- 1550 Follows Elector John Frederick, the emperor's prisoner since the Battle of Mühlberg, to Augsburg.
- 1553 Dies at Weimar on 16 October.
Family
The family members who appear with this character when you start the game. Years follow the historical record; where none survives, a ? is shown.
| Relation | Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Hans | Dates unknown | Painter of Kronach |
| Wife | Barbara Brengbier | ? – 1541 | From Gotha; ran the household and the workshop's books |
| Son | Hans | c. 1513 – 1537 | Painter; died in Bologna in 1537 |
| Son | Lucas | 1515 – 1586 | “Cranach the Younger”; took over his father's workshop |
| Daughter | Ursula | Dates unknown | |
| Daughter | Barbara | Dates unknown |
In the game
You begin in autumn 1517 in Wittenberg as a court painter of forty-five. You are a commoner with no land and no sword, but you have the winged-serpent arms, a big house on a corner of the market square and a workshop where ten apprentices work. Your wife Barbara keeps the books, and you have your sons Hans and Lucas and your daughters. Word is going round that Doctor Luther, the monk at the university, has posted theses on indulgences.
In the first event, “The paper on the Castle Church door”, you choose whether to take on the journeyman printer Michael to set type, call on Luther first, or finish the Elector's altarpiece first. Scenes like 1520's “Two faces”, where you choose how to portray Luther, follow; in this life the brush and the press are your weapons.
The turning point is “The monk at Worms”. If Luther survives, real history runs through Junker Jörg, the September Testament, the herring barrels, the wedding on the evening of 13 June and the mayor's chair to following the captive Elector; if Luther is burned at Worms, another branch runs to the end through a spring without a teacher and a painting bound for Trent.
- Scenario guide The Printer of Wittenberg
- Era guide Renaissance and the Age of Discovery
- Related turning points What if Luther had been burned at Worms?
Frequently asked questions
What was the relationship between Cranach and Luther?
They were close friends living in the same town, Wittenberg. Cranach painted Luther again and again, as a monk, as Junker Jörg and as a professor; he was a witness at Luther's wedding in 1525 and godfather to Luther's eldest son. His workshop made the woodcuts for Luther's German Bible and printed Reformation pamphlets.
What are Cranach's best-known works?
Well-known works include the portraits of Luther and Katharina von Bora, Adam and Eve, his many Venuses and Lucretias, The Fountain of Youth (1546), and the altarpiece of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Weimar, finished by his son.
What is the difference between Cranach the Elder and the Younger?
Cranach the Elder (c. 1472 – 1553) is the subject of this page; Cranach the Younger (1515 – 1586) was his second son, who took over his father's workshop. Both used the winged-serpent signature, so it is often hard to tell whose hand a work is by.
Sources
General histories of German art and of the Reformation; museum resources such as the Cranach Digital Archive.