Portraits of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon 1543

Lucas Cranach the Elder painted these portraits of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon using oil on wood. The two panels are striking in their starkness, depicting the reformers against a plain background. Cranach was working in Germany at a time when the printing press was allowing for the rapid dissemination of texts and images. The Protestant Reformation was gaining momentum, challenging the established authority of the Catholic Church. These portraits played a crucial role in visually propagating the movement's leaders. The Uffizi's presence in Florence, Italy, reminds us that institutions like museums today shape how we understand the Reformation. The portraits were created for supporters and followers of the Reformation, using visual codes to promote its leaders and ideas. To understand these images fully, scholars consult period texts, pamphlets, and other artworks that circulated at the time. The meaning of art is always tied to its historical and institutional context.