Portrait of a Young Nobleman 1539

Lucas Cranach the Elder painted this "Portrait of a Young Nobleman" using oil on wood. Cranach was a master of the Northern Renaissance style, but I want to draw your attention to his remarkable technique here. Look closely, and you'll see a meticulous layering of thin glazes, especially in the flesh tones. This was a common practice at the time, requiring skill and patience. Consider also the bright blue background. This would have been achieved using costly ultramarine pigment, derived from lapis lazuli. Notice how the artist uses the smoothness of the wood panel to create a highly polished surface, almost like enamel. The intense level of detail would have taken hours of labor. This wasn't just about artistic expression, but also about showcasing the patron’s wealth, and the artist's professional skill. The materials and the work involved were all part of the message.