Weimar Cranach Altarpiece (or ''Herderkirche Weimar Cranach Altarpiece'') is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

winged altarpiece A winged altarpiece (also ''folding altar'') or winged retable is a special form of altarpiece (reredos, occasionally retable), common in Northern and Central Europe, in which the central image, either a painting or relief sculpture (or some com ...

created by

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...

and his son

Lucas Cranach the Younger Lucas Cranach the Younger (, ; 4 October 1515 – 25 January 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach. Life and career Lucas Cranach the Younger was born in Wittenber ...

between 1552 and 1555 for the Church of St. Peter und Paul in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

, Germany.

History and description

The

triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...

altarpiece was commissioned by the

Elector of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony ( or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356 to 1806 initially centred on Wittenberg that came to include areas around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. It was a ...

John Frederick I John Frederick I (, 30 June 1503 – 3 March 1554), called the Magnanimous (), was the Elector of Saxony (1532–1547) until he was deprived of this title in the Capitulation of Wittenberg by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. He was leading the Sch ...

and installed at the high altar of the city parish church of St. Peter und Paul in Weimar in 1555, thus making it one of the major Protestant altarpieces of

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, made by Cranachs. The painting of the three-winged altarpiece was started by Lucas Cranach the Elder and upon his father's death, the task was completed by the son

in 1555. It is one of the most important

Thuringian Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon s ...

masterpieces of art produced in the

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

. The

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

area houses the authentic grave slab of

, who now rests at

Jacobsfriedhof The Jacobsfriedhof, also known as the Jakobskirchhof ("St. James's Burial Ground" or "Churchyard"), is the oldest extant burial ground in Weimar, Thuringia, Germany, on land round the Jakobskirche (St. James's Church). The first burials took p ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the altarpiece was stored elsewhere, and therefore survived the air raids of 1945.

Interpretation of the altarpiece

As in almost all cases of Cranach Post-Reformation altarpieces, there is also a great deal of

Christocentric Christocentrism is a doctrinal term within Christianity, describing theological positions that focus on Jesus Christ, the second person of the Christian Trinity, in relation to the Godhead/God the Father ( theocentric) or the Holy Spirit ( pneum ...

Lutheran symbolism, Christian

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

and Protestant theological concept of Five solas depicted in the Weimar altarpiece, with each image referring to salvation alone in Jesus, emphasizing the sacrifice of Jesus in

Solus Christus ''Solus Christus'' or ''In Christo solo'' (Latin in + ablative, sōlō Christō, meaning "in Christ alone") is one of the five solae that summarize the Protestant Reformers' basic belief that salvation is by faith in Christ alone. Doctrine ...

. The altarpiece is ''Christ-centered'' with main focus on the crucified Christ with

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

pointing up at Jesus and index finger from his other hand to the

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism. It is the name given to a spec ...

, while

and

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

are standing on the right side. Christ's image is repeated on the left side, he is depicted defeating

Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...

and conquering death. Cranach is depicted being washed by the blood of Jesus, while there is an open

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

in Luther's hand with his

index finger The index finger (also referred to as forefinger, first finger, second finger, pointer finger, trigger finger, digitus secundus, digitus II, and many other terms) is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the m ...

pointing at the Bible to signify the importance of preaching of the Word of God and the doctrine of

Sola scriptura (Latin for 'by scripture alone') is a Christian theological doctrine held by most Protestant Christian denominations, in particular the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, that posits the Bible as the sole infallible source of authority for ...

. In the background, the fallen nature of mankind is depicted through a scene of the

Expulsion from the Garden of Eden ''The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden'' () is a fresco by the Italian Early Renaissance artist Masaccio. The fresco is a single scene from the cycle painted around 1425 by Masaccio, Masolino and others on the walls of the Brancacci Chapel in th ...

, along with the Old Testament narrative of the revelation of the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...

, the Brazen Serpent,

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

preaching to Israelites and

Annunciation to the shepherds The annunciation to the shepherds is an episode in the Nativity of Jesus described in the Bible in Luke 2, in which angels tell a group of shepherds about the birth of Jesus. It is a common subject of Christian art and of Christmas carols. Bibl ...

. When the triptych is closed, the outer sides of the wings depict the Biblical scenes of

Baptism of Jesus The baptism of Jesus, the ritual purification of Jesus with water by John the Baptist, was a major event described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament ( Matthew, Mark and Luke). It is considered to have taken place at Al-Maghta ...

and

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

.The altarpiece also serves as a grave monument to

, his wife Sibylle of Cleves and their descendants who were laid to rest beneath the vault in front of the altar, with their names carved on the

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

in the form of an

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

and their images depicted on the outer wings of the

. File:Herderkircheausstattung - 2.jpeg, Weimar altarpiece close-up File:Weimar Herderkirche - Cranach-Altar Mittelteil 3.jpg, Agnus Dei detail File:Weimar Herderkirche - Cranach-Altar Mittelteil 2.jpg, Resurrected Christ conquering death File:Santi pietro e paolo, weimar, cranachsaltar 00.JPG, Chancel of the church with altar and

baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

File:2022 Herderkirche Innen 4.jpg, Weimar altarpiece with the sight of the ducal burial vault in the front File:Weimar Herderkirche - Cranach-Altar Linker Flügel 1.jpg, Elector of Saxony

and his wife Sibylle of Cleves in prayer

References

External links

/ Protected landmark status of the church and description of altar (in German)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weimar Altarpiece Paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder Paintings by Lucas Cranach the Younger 1555 paintings Christian paintings Paintings in Weimar Reformation in Germany Altarpieces Lutheran art Paintings of Adam and Eve Paintings of the Crucifixion of Jesus Paintings of Moses Paintings of John the Baptist Demons in art 16th-century allegorical paintings Triptychs Oil on panel paintings

History and description

Interpretation of the altarpiece

See also

References

External links