The Fountain Of Youth 1546

Lucas Cranach the Elder made 'The Fountain Of Youth' with oil on wood, a painstaking process involving layering thin glazes of pigment. The smoothness of the wood panel supports the illusionistic detail in this busy scene, which represents a fantastical vision. Old women enter on the left, are rejuvenated in the fountain, and emerge as young women on the right, ready to enjoy courtly pleasures. Cranach was a court painter, enmeshed in a world of patronage and luxury. The very material of this painting speaks to that context; oil paint was an expensive medium at the time, and its careful application signals the value placed on skilled craftsmanship. The narrative, too, reflects elite desires – a longing for vitality and beauty, made possible through access to rare resources. Considering the materials and the making process allows us to reflect on how art can embody social aspirations and fantasies.