Lucas Cranach
Review of Royal Academy of Arts Exhibition
by Elizabeth Adekunle
Cranach, more than just a painter…
An exhibition of Lucas Cranach the Elder’s paintings, etchings, copper plates and woodcut designs is currently on display at the Royal Academy of Arts. German born Cranach (1472-1553), although not a professed Christian, was educated in biblical studies and painted numerous biblical scenes and devotional images throughout his career. Cranach held the impressive position of court artist at Wittenberg to Duke Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. Cranach had over ten assistants and volunteers who worked with him in his workshops, he also had his own ink making firm, and his own apothecary.This exhibition reflects Cranach’s broad approach to art, his range of subjects and innovative techniques.
The Crucifixion
Cranach’s biblical scenes are among his earliest works. His depiction of The Crucifixion (approx 1500) is believed to be his earliest painting. This painting demonstrates Cranach’s ability to portray movement and capture activity with expression and ease. Cranach produced paintings that were aesthetically pleasing, enjoyable and bursting with biblical illustrations. Cranach is able to hold the viewers attention by communicating on several different levels. In this painting, the bones of the previously crucified are scattered on the floor as the dog sniffs at them in the foreground. In fact, Cranach uses the theme of dogs several times in his paintings as a way of earthing the scene, for example a dog is shown lapping the blood in the painting of the beheading of John the Baptist (1515).
Christ crucified (the central figure) towers above the powerless women and the men on horseback; he is even positioned slightly above the men on either side of him because of the angle in which they are painted. It becomes apparent that although Christ in above them, he is now below them, degraded and humiliated. Christ is even ignored by the men on horseback whose faces are turned away from him, as they engage in their own conversation. Even the dog, the lowliest of them all, at the foot of the painting is given more dignity.
Cranach has an ability to communicate this devotional scene in very accessible and practical terms. This painting becomes a lived and captured experience bringing to life the ordinariness of another crucifixion and the extraordinary act of Christ.
The Triptych with the Holy Kinship
The painting entitled The Triptych with the Holy Kinship (1509) depicts the family of Christ (known as the Kinship) across three ornate panels. In the central panel the Virgin Mary dressed in blue holds a piece of fruit in her right hand ready to give to the Christ child whose outstretched arms are eager to receive it. In Mary’s left hand she loosely clings to an open book. This image reminds me of the story of the fall in Genesis, here Mary holds knowledge in both hands, however unlike the story of creation, the fruit of knowledge in her right hand, is no longer forbidden because the infant Jesus is about to take unto himself the sin that keeps us from God. In Mary’s left hand she holds an open book (perhaps the bible) an ongoing source of knowledge. Joseph who he is slightly removed from the activities in the foreground is seated behind the Virgin Mary and appears to be sleeping. Mary’s mother, St Ann holds the infant Christ on her lap.
The side panels show the Virgin Mary’s step-sisters, also named Mary, with their husbands and children. Attention is given to the very natural act of tending to the children. The women in the painting are captivated by the children, as was I, as the onlooker. On the central panel behind the virgin there are three male figures on the balcony that dominate the background. On the left is Cranach’s employer, the elector of Saxony, Frederick the Vine, on the right is Frederick’s brother, John the Steadfast and in the centre of the balcony is Maximilian the Holy Roman Emperor. This vibrant and luminous painting mixes portraits of people who were living at the time, with the Holy family of Christ, suggesting an intimate closeness and pious devotion to Christ. Although this depiction was painted to show Saxony’s loyalty to the Imperial Court, Cranach painted the secular world and intertwined this with meaning and purity by making it a devotional scene and arguably encouraging the viewer to think about the life of Christ. In this triptych the figures are adorned with fine embroidery and fabrics of gold and red. The blue colour in the Triptych was made from the expensive and imported lapez lazuli, this blue was only ever shown on two of Cranach’s paintings before he ran out of it, the deep blue used in every other painting is Azurite.
The three panels are united not only by the re-occurring themes of mother and child, but also by the chequered marble floor, which stretches across all three panels. This lavish looking altarpiece demonstrates Cranach’s use of vibrant colours and different textures.
Portraits of Luther
Cranach was a close friend to the protestant theologian Martin Luther and his portrait of Martin Luther (1529) and subsequent paintings of Luther’s wife and daughter, are a witness to their strong and long-term friendship. Cranach produced woodcut illustrations and printed Luther’s book, entitled Passional Christi und Antichrist (1521). However Cranach was also able to remain friends with Luther, while taking commissions from Luther’s rivals such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, who translated the bible from Greek into Latin. Cranach’s entrepreneurial mind helped to boost his career and secure his investments.
Cranach did numerous painted studies that he could then reproduce for later works, for example on display is an exquisite, true to life watercolour study of the Head of a Peasant (1520-25). Cranach often painted an outline, which could be duplicated and painted by one of his assistants, this way of painting meant that he could produce numerous pieces of work and save time. Cranach became known as the decorator of palaces more popular than other Renaissance artists of his time, such as Durer and Holbein. Cranach wanted things done quickly; as a result there are over 1,000 paintings from his workshop.
Adam and Eve
Cranach’s Adam and Eve (1526) is one of 50 depictions Cranach did of this subject and this depiction is inarguably the most beautiful. Although my personal favourite is Cranach’s depiction of Adam and Eve dated 1531. In this earlier depiction, the tree of knowledge stands in the centre of the painting between them and they are surrounded by painted wildlife and green pastures. Eve raises the fruit to give to a confused Adam. The painting shows the skill Cranach had in painting wildlife and game and his continued attention to detail, for example, the reflection of the Deer in the pond and the Unicorn in the background. The portrayal of Eve shows his growing attention to portraying the female form, which becomes more evident in paintings such as The Venus (1532). Throughout his career Cranach used his artistic talents to further the Lutheran cause. In depictions such as Adam and Eve, Cranach was able to develop his talent in detailed studies of wildlife, nudes and landscapes with no objection from Luther, who saw Cranach’s depictions as furthering the biblical message.
Christ blessing the Children
One of my personal favourites in this exhibition is Cranach’s depiction of Christ blessing the Children (1530). There is a simplicity in Cranach’s approach towards painting moral scenes, this can also be seen in the painting of The Women being Stoned for example. In this painting, Jesus is the focus of attention for many of the women, who compete for his attention. The children remain the focus of some of the other women, in a similar way to Cranach’s Triptych with the Holy Kinship. In amidst all of this, Jesus brings a child close to face and it is here that Cranach allows the biblical story to unfold.
Through the simplicity of his biblical scenes, his rapid way of working and his friendship with Luther, Cranach was able to open up a dialogue between the written words of scripture and the creative visual interpretation of scripture, creating a new form of evangelism. Cranach contributed to religious and secular society; he was a versatile artist and entrepreneur who found a creative way to spread the word of God.
The Cranach exhibition is on at the Royal Academy of Arts until the 8th June 2008.
The Revd Elizabeth Adekunle is a curate at St Luke’s Homerton, Hackney in the Diocese of London and is an artist.
Elizabeth Adekunle is Archdeacon of Hackney