History
The art of the Lutheran Artists, Ss. Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Dürer are some of the greatest cultural contributions we have that belong to the Lutheran faith and tradition. Like Ss. Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt, these men are extra special gifts given to Lutheranism that we ought to keep close. Many of the artists’ works are seen as preaching the Gospel not through words but images, communicating the tenets of Lutheranism and themes of the Reformation through their fine attention to detail and their depiction of spiritual and physical realities. Even today, Ss. Cranach and Dürer are seen as some of the greatest examples of not only Church-inspired artists but artists of the German Renaissance—they still pull modern observers and critics into the depths of their art because of their great talent and prolific production.
We at All the Household have long relied on Ss. Cranach and Dürer in our exploration of Lutheran liturgical living, calling attention to their artwork that commemorates and accompanies many events of the Church Year. Go back to many of the posts on our site (including St. Joseph of Arimathea, St. Michael and All Angels, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and The Nativity, to name a few) and you’ll see their artwork accompanying our Lutheran explanation of why saints and Church holy days have long mattered to our tradition.
The Art of Ss. Lucas Cranach and Albrecht Dürer
Keeping this in mind, and creating a parallel between the usefulness of studying these great Lutheran Artists like we’ve studied the great Lutheran musicians we’ve featured before, applying oneself to a deeper dive into Ss. Cranach and Dürer’s artwork can be one of the best ways to commemorate these men on their April 6th date. It also ensures that us Lutherans of today can keep them near and dear to their hearts, making sure that we appreciate them for the great gifts they offer us here in the twenty-first century.
Looking at one (or more!) of their art pieces can both help you celebrate their day and help you become more familiar with their artistic mediums and style. Furthermore, taking the time to really dive into their artwork can be one way you can further become familiar with their beautiful pieces and the ways that they fold in with our Lutheran journey through the rest of the Church Year. This printable guide will help guide you along such steps and assist you in making fuller connections between their work and these artist’s theological positionings.
To find high quality copies of their pieces, check out these websites particularly looking for pieces of their that you can study that have a distinctly religious angle:
Lucas Cranach the Elder: National Gallery of Art
Lucas Cranach the Elder: WikiArt
Albrecht Dürer: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Albrecht Dürer: WikiArt
Hopefully the below questions will help you get a better idea for the art’s context and make you more familiar with at least one of these saints’ many pieces. Although there is an overwhelming amount of artwork options between the two artists that you could study, discovering just one more piece that you don’t readily recognize but that still resonates with you can help edify and strengthen you and those in your household in the faith and bolster your use of Ss. Cranach and Dürer’s artwork throughout your celebration of the rest of the liturgical year!
