Saint George Standing with Two Angels 1506

Lucas Cranach the Elder made this print of Saint George with two angels, using woodcut, on paper. This image of Saint George, the Christian soldier-saint, appears as the Holy Roman Empire is fracturing, a period in which rulers sought to shore up territorial control through symbols of power and sovereignty. Note the coats-of-arms. The cultural reference here would have signaled local fealty. The historical associations of the knight would also evoke social class. Cranach was employed as court painter by the electors of Wittenberg, and we might wonder if this image of Saint George as a holy warrior comments on the role of the aristocracy. Consider the politics of the time, as the Protestant Reformation challenges established religious authority. Is this a conservative image? As historians, we look at the details of biography and political context to understand the institutions of art and appreciate their resonance at particular moments in time.