Wittenberg Altarpiece
Wittenberg Cranach Altarpiece | |
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Artist | Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger |
Year | 1547 |
Medium | Oil on hardwood |
Movement | German Renaissance |
Dimensions | 103.5 cm × 233 cm (40.7 in × 92 in) |
Location | Wittenberg |
Owner | Evangelical Lutheran City and Parish Church of St.Mary's in Wittenberg |
Wittenberg Cranach Altarpiece (or Reformation Altarpiece) is one of the major Lutheran winged altarpieces created by Lucas Cranach the Elder and his son Lucas Cranach the Younger for the Evangelical Lutheran City and Parish Church of St. Mary's in Wittenberg, Germany. The altarpiece depicts the key figures of Lutheranism associated with the parish church of Wittenberg.[1]
The Schneeberg Altarpiece, Weimar Altarpiece and Gotha Altarpiece are other important examples of the relatively small number of attempts to continue the tradition of the altarpiece giving an explicitly Lutheran interpretation. This phase was mostly finished by 1555.
History and description
The triptych altarpiece was installed at the high altar of the Wittenberg City Parish Church of St. Mary's in 1547, one year after Luther's death, and it is believed to be consecrated by Johannes Bugenhagen, who was the pastor at St. Mary's church in Wittenberg and a good friend of Martin Luther.[2] Lucas Cranach the Elder designed the altar and painted most of the front panel, while his son Lucas Cranach the Younger painted the panels on the back and finished his father's work on the front. The altarpiece was restored in 2016.[3]
Interpretation of the altarpiece
The Wittenberg altarpiece is a visualization of several major principles of the Protestant Reformation, and serves as a portrayal of Lutheran sacramental theology. On the front, the middle panel and the inner two wings depict the three sacraments recognized by Luther, namely the Baptism, Eucharist and Absolution. The frontal middle panel depicts
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Interior of St. Mary's Church in Wittenberg
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Detail ofPhilipp Melanchthonbaptizing an infant
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The back panel depicts the resurrected Christ defeating death
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Detail of the Last Supper scene
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Johannes Bugenhagen as the pastor of St. Mary's Church
References
- ^ "Lutheran interpretation of Wittenberg Altarpiece". 18 January 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ "Academy for Christian Art – Luther and Confession: Beyond Prejudice". 26 January 2021. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ "Lucas Cranach and Martin Luther: Sacred Art at the Dawn of the Reformation". Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ "Paths to Luther – The Reformation in pictures (in German)" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ Bonnie Noble (2006), "The Wittenberg Altarpiece and the Image of Identity", Reformation, Vol 11, Iss 1, 79-129, DOI: 10.1558/refm.v11.79