Lucas Cranach the Elder. One of the most popular German Masters XVI century. The representative of the art of the Renaissance, court artist Elector Frederick the Wise, a follower of Alfred Dürer and Hieronymus Bosch, born October 4, 1472 in the town of Kronach, whose name later morphed into the name of the artist.

Lucas Cranach Self. 1550 board, oil. 64 × 49 Uffizi Gallery, Italy Source: wikipaintings.org

father and grandfather were painters Cranach, and he learned the basics of craft under the guidance of his father, Hans Mueller, whose name is preserved only in an indirect mention.

about his childhood and youth, by Lucas Cranach the accurate information , but many experts suggest a high probability. According to the custom of the time, after finishing initial training in the workshop of his father, he was in 1490's - 1500's, most likely, a journey on the Danube Basin. His early work suggests that it was in Bavaria - they feel familiar with the work of the Bavarian craftsmen.

In 1500-1504 Cranach's lives in Vienna. Here he met with the works of Albrecht Durer, which influences him so noticeable that, for example, the early work of Cranach's "Adam and Eve" came to the Uffizi Gallery at the end of XVI century, it is the product of Dürer, Cranach authorship later confirmed as the fact that the writing of this work, he used the same name dyurerovskuyu composition.

Top 1500s are the earliest surviving works, signed name Lucas Cranach, - religious scenes, landscapes, portraits ("Crucifixion", "Rest on the Flight into Egypt" (1504, National Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem), "Doubles wedding portrait Dr. Johann Kuspiniana"). These works are more confused, they are not even those small details and diverse songs that will be characterized by paintings by Cranach in the future.

Lucas Cranach Portrait of Anna Kuspinian Ok. 1503 board, oil. 59 × 45 Private Collection Source: wikipaintings.org

In 1505 Cranach goes to service of the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, whose court at Wittenberg, he will spend most of his life (about 45 years) as a court painter. Frederick the Wise, who dreams to Wittenberg, a major cultural center, appreciates the artist. May contribute to this common religious aspirations - both of them support the Reformation and are familiar with Martin Luther. Cranach familiarity with Luther took place in the early 1520s and soon developed into a close friendship. Accepting the teachings of Luther, Lucas becomes the "painter of the Reformation": the paintings and prints expressing the ideas of the Reformation, Luther's writings shows, wrote his portrait ("Portrait of Martin Luther»).

Lucas Cranach The Elector Frederick the Wise Ok. 1532 board, oil. 80 × 49 Schönbrunn Palace, Austria Source: en.wikipedia.org

LUCAS Cranes Portrait of Martin Luther. 1529 board, oil. 38 × 24 Uffizi Gallery, Italy Source: commons.wikimedia.org

In 1508 Cranach ennobled and a personal coat of arms: the shield - the snake (dragon) with the wings of a bat, and then turn into a dragon with wings of a bird. Emblem has his own signature, and later mark his studio. In the same year Friedrich Cranach sent on a diplomatic mission to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I in the Netherlands, where he will stay until 1509. In such an instruction is not surprising: while the court artists often alternated with diplomacy and creativity to achieve success in both arenas (a textbook example - diplomatic career Rubens).

The Netherlands Cranach closely acquainted with works of Hieronymus Bosch (and even writes a copy of his most famous works, "The Last Judgment") is influenced Gertgen Totti and van der Goes. After this trip, in the works by Cranach in large numbers appear altarpiece, images of Madonna. In addition to portraits, he began to write custom cabinet painting small format. For about the same time and the first treatment of the master to the plots and characters of ancient mythology. In 1509, he wrote "Venus and Cupid" - the first in Northern Europe nudity ancient goddess (to him so just wrote Eve). For the most Cranach the first attempt to portray nudity, and even in full size. In this work, the Renaissance attitude to beauty coupled with the Lutheran rigor and didacticism. The inscription in Latin, warns the audience: "We take pains chase Cupid lust, or take possession of your soul blinded Venus».

Lucas Cranach Venus and Cupid. 1509 canvas (transferred from panel), oil. 213 × 102 The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Source: hermitagemuseum.org

On his return from the Netherlands Cranach profitable marries daughter of a wealthy brewer, Wittenberg and building his own house. Benevolence of the powerful, high fees and big revenues from stores, received a dowry of his wife, to forty years of wandering in the last turn of the painter to the homeless-born wealthy respected citizen, the owner of land, houses, own studio (where the release of pictures of sons and followers of the artist, started on its motives and signed his monogram - a winged dragon) and the printing office where replicated engravings of his work. Over time, Cranach became a city councilor, three times at different times of the post fulfills its treasurer, and in 1537 was elected mayor of Wittenberg's ruling.

In 1510's and 30's, he focused on writing portraits and genre paintings - mainly on mythological and biblical subjects. Out of his hand, more and more sophisticated and campy to please many customers, the infinite "Adam and Eve", "Judith", "Magdalena", "Bathsheba" - plots, where it was possible to depict nudity, fine clothes and backgrounds. These pictures are intended to cabinet interior decoration in homes nobles or patricians. It is no accident Cranach chooses for them such topics as "Venus", "Lucretia", "Judgment of Paris", "The unequal pair" corresponding to the tastes of senior customers.

Lucas Cranach Venus and Cupid. Approx. 1525 board, oil. 81,3 × 56,4 National Gallery, London Source: nationalgallery.org.uk

In the second half of life Cranach less engaged actually art - almost all of his time is busy performing diplomatic assignments. However, this brings unexpected results. In 1526 Cranach went to the head of the embassy to the court of the Elector John III the Peacemaker, to enter into a preliminary contract of marriage between Prince Johann Friedrich and 14-year-old daughter of John III Sybille of Cleves. This trip was a success for the European policy (the wedding took place in 1527), and especially the history of world art: Cranach created many portraits of Sybil. It was she who gave the appearance typical appearance kranahovskoy woman - tall blonde, with almond-shaped eyes, a sharp chin, elongated shape of the body. Such were his numerous biblical (Eve, Judith, Mary), Narrative (Lucretia) and mythological (Venus) characters.

Lucas Cranach Lucretia board, oil. 60,3 × 48,9 Sotheby's. 26.01.2012 Estimate: 4 000 000-6 000 000 Result: 5 122 500 Source: sothebys.com

Lucas Cranach Portrait of a girl holding grapes and apples. 1528 board, oil. 81,6 × 55 Sotheby's. 24.01.2008 Estimate: 1 500 000-2 000 000 Result: 5 081 000 Source: sothebys.com

In old age, Cranach runs small, but the number of pictures, signed by his mark - a winged dragon, not decreasing. Very fruitful his workshop, where he is responsible for general management. Become the established masters of his sons, Hans and Lucas Cranach Cranach the younger. After his father's death they will take over the management of the studio.

During his long life Cranach managed to get a court painter at the court of the three Electors, was a diplomat, politician and valet. After the death of Frederick the Wise, which has no direct heirs, Cranach is in the court of his brother, Johann firmly, and even becomes a mentor to his son, John Frederick, later nicknamed magnanimous . We know that when John Frederick was taken prisoner by the Emperor Charles V, Emperor of Cranach pleaded gracious attitude to his pupil. Later, at the request of John Frederick is a very old artist joined him in Augsburg, lived next few months, and after his release in 1552, accompanied him to Weimar.

October 16, 1553 Lucas Cranach died in Weimar.

Cranach, a 10-year survivor of Hans Holbein the Younger, and 25 - Dürer and Grünewald, was truly the last of the "great generation" era of the Northern Renaissance.

Lucas Cranach the Elder left a grand musical legacy, which is clearly visible all the basic features of the phenomenon that later critics called "the school of the Danube", and Cranach himself - one of its founders. Danube school of painting - the direction in painting and drawing in Southern Germany and Austria, the first half of the XVI century, which is characterized by a break with tradition of the freedom of imagination, emotion, interest in nature, fantastic characters, space, light and color, dynamic composition, jerky and sharp line drawing.

Today images Cranach created 500 years ago, are recognized and are quite popular: fashion clothes with his secular portraits copied reenactors and lovers of the past, but based on the animated image repeatedly developed Cranach the story of "Adam and Eve" flaunted on the splash screen in the popular series "Desperate Housewives».

outfits created based on works by Cranach Source: lacoconoir.deviantart.com , naergilien.info , store.reconstructinghistory.com

Lucas Cranach Adam and Eve. 1528 board oil. 172 × 124 Uffizi Source: wikipaintings.org

frame of screensaver series "Desperate Housewives» Source: cafeteriajperk.blogspot.ru

Time occasionally work by Lucas Cranach and his workshop can also be found at the auctions. It is known that his paintings were sold at auction 110 times. A record for the amount of auction results - 7,748,000 dollars was given a pair of portraits of the Saxon Elector Johann Solid and his son Johann Friedrich at Christie's July 6, 1990. This diptych can be seen now in the National Gallery (London).

Two Elector of Saxony. Diptych. 1509 board, oil. 42 × 31,2 (size of one board) The National Gallery, London Source: nationalgallery.org.uk

However, the 1990s large transactions with paintings of Lucas Cranach the Elder is not limited. In July last year, his "family altar triptych Feylitsh" went for 6,533,538 dollars (4,297,250 pounds), while the estimate 4000 000-6 000 000 pounds during the auction the auction house Sotheby's.

Lucas Cranach the Elder altar triptych Feylitsh family. 1511 board, oil. The central panel: 88 × 71,5 cm, wings 91 × 32,5 Sotheby's. 04.07.2012 Estimate: £ 4,000,000-6,000,000 Result: 4,297,250 pounds Source: sothebys.com

Virtually all of the best works of Lucas Cranach the Elder owned collections of great museums, his paintings and drawings are in the collections of all major museums. Therefore, each occurrence in the retail work atributiruemyh is the master, not the circle or workshop, is a significant event in the art world.

Maria Kuznetsova, AI

Sources : bibliotekar.ru , megabook.ru , dic.academic.ru , artprice.com , artinvestment.ru