Lucas Cranach

From German Myth to Reformation

Jennifer Nelson

$39.99

Hardback

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English

Reaktion Books
01 June 2024

Art & Architecture; Renaissance art; Painting & paintings; Prints & printmaking; Individual artists, art monographs

Series: Renaissance Lives

This captivating biography brings Lucas Cranach the Elder into the spotlight for the twenty-first century.

The illuminating narrative unveils an artist whose vision transcended personal brilliance as he sought to elevate a nascent nation and foster a sense of community with his work. Perhaps Cranach's most remarkable achievement lay in forging a robust Lutheran community, endowed with a resounding message of salvation. Using prints, the prevailing medium of mass communication, and multiple versions of paintings, he developed an intricate and appealing symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Along with Cranach's more well-known works, Jennifer Nelson explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes, and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalised his patrons but also constructed a deep history of Germany's notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.

By: Jennifer Nelson
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm,
ISBN: 9781789148480
ISBN 10: 1789148480
Series: Renaissance Lives
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 01 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction: The Godfather of the Reformation 1 The Cranach Brand Emerges 2 The Mythographer of Women: A German Renaissance 3 The Look of Luther's Reformation Coda: The Women Look Back CHRONOLOGY REFERENCES SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PHOTO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INDEX

Jennifer Nelson is associate professor of art history at the University of Delaware. Her publications include Disharmony of the Spheres: The Europe of Holbein's Ambassadors.

Reviews for Lucas Cranach: From German Myth to Reformation

""Cranach produced portraits of his friend Martin Luther throughout his life. Nelson's book explores how Cranach's paintings and prints helped foster a strong Lutheran community in 16th-century Saxony.""-- ""Apollo"" ""Nelson's new book overflows with original, fascinating insights. It provides an excellent analysis of Cranach's career trajectory and the major themes in his artworks, deftly interconnected with the intellectual and religious developments of his time: an ideal exemplar of how to communicate serious research through witty, engaging writing.""-- ""Jeanne Nuechterlein, author of 'Hans Holbein: The Artist in a Changing World'""