Portrait of Luther 1756 - 1801

Johann Caspar Lavater painted this portrait of Martin Luther with oil on canvas sometime before 1801. As a pastor himself, Lavater was deeply influenced by the legacy of the Protestant Reformation. It's important to remember that Luther's image, particularly in portraiture, had become a powerful symbol of religious and political identity in Germanic countries by the late 18th century. Consider how this simple, unadorned image contrasts with the opulent portraits of royalty or the aristocracy. Luther is presented as an intellectual and spiritual leader, not as a figure of worldly power. Lavater’s interest in physiognomy, the study of facial features as indicators of character, also informs this image. To fully appreciate this work, one can delve into the history of Lutheranism, the visual culture of the Reformation, and the biography of Lavater. Art history reminds us that images are never neutral; they actively shape our understanding of the past.