After Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) - 18th Century Oil Our Lady

Description

A fine 18th century religious painting after the prolific German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553). The Madonna employs a double split hand, imitating the action of sacred breastfeeding, whilst rich red and blue represent her divinity and passion. Unsigned. Well presented in a lacquered frame with a gilt inner edge. On canvas on stretchers.

Condition

Signs of wear consistent with age. Discolouration to the varnish. Craquelure and light abrasions throughout. The artwork has been previously restored, including relining, and small areas of overpainting. Overall the artwork remains in good condition for its age. Wear to the frame, including scuffs, chips and indentations throughout. Historic woodworm to the reverse; however, this has been fully treated and the wood is pest-free.

Size

76 x 57cm (29.9" x 22.4")
Framed Size: 88 x 69cm (34.6" x 27.2")

Artist Biography

Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker, widely regarded as one of the most important artists of the Protestant Reformation era. Born in Kronach, in the Franconia region of Bavaria, he likely trained under his father before making his way to Vienna around 1500, where he produced some of his earliest surviving works. These early paintings — intimate portraits and devotional images marked by expressive landscapes — show the influence of the Danube School style. In 1505, Cranach was appointed court painter to Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, in Wittenberg. He would serve three successive Saxon electors over the course of his career, a remarkable tenure that brought him considerable prestige and wealth. At the Wittenberg court he ran a large, prolific workshop that produced portraits, altarpieces, mythological scenes, and hunting pictures on an almost industrial scale. Cranach became a close friend and collaborator of Martin Luther, whose portrait he painted on multiple occasions. He used his printmaking skills — particularly woodcuts — to disseminate Protestant ideas visually, making him a key propagandist of the Reformation. He also served as a witness at Luther's wedding in 1525. Beyond religious work, Cranach is celebrated for his graceful, stylised depictions of female nudes drawn from classical mythology, featuring slender figures with a distinctive linear elegance. His workshop developed a signature visual language that remained highly influential in northern European art throughout the sixteenth century. He was also a successful businessman, operating a pharmacy and a printing press in Wittenberg, and serving as the city's mayor on three occasions. In his final years he followed his patron John Frederick I into exile in Augsburg and Innsbruck, and died in Weimar in 1553. His son, Lucas Cranach the Younger, continued the workshop's traditions after his death.