Lucas Cranes Senior (Him. Lucas Cranach Der Ältere, Croah, Upper Franconia, October 4, 1472 - Weimar, October 16, 1553) - German painter and Renaissance era schedule, Master of picturesque and graphic portraits, genre and biblical compositions, synthesized in their work Gothic Traditions S. art principles Renaissance. One of the founders of the Danube School of Painting; Developed a sophisticated style with a harmonious connection of the shapes and landscape. The court painter of the Saxon Kurfürst Wittenberg Friedrich Wise (1505-1525), Johann of solid and Johann Friedrich generous, head of a big workshop, a supporter of the ideas of the Reformation and a friend of Luther. Father of the artists of Hans Kranah and Lucas Kranah younger.

Lucas Cranium Born in Kronach, Upper Franconia. The date of his birth and the surname of the Father, who worked in the crown artist, cannot be established by researchers. From the birth of Crants, Zyandnder was named (other pronunciation options - Zunder, Sonder), later became known as Lucas and took the name of his native town as a surname, which sounded then as cranes. Presumably fine art Cranes initially studied at his father.

With early adolescence, he wandered in Germany in search of calling. In 1493, the young man went to the Holy Land - Palestine. In 1501, the artist arrived in Vienna, where he stayed until 1504. It is to the Vienna period that his first famous paintingssigned by Lukas Cranes. Then he entered the service to the Saxon Kurfurist Friedrich Mudrom. In 1508, Krants were granted in nobles and in the same year visited the Netherlands. He headed the art workshop, in which there were more than ten assistants, published books, combining these classes with bookstores. Gradually, the artist became the richest Burger Wittenberg, repeatedly elected by the burgomist of the city.

Lucas Cranes was a supporter of the Reformation. He illustrated Protestant pamphlets, repeatedly wrote portraits of his friend Martin Luther and financed the Bible's edition translated into German.

The early works of the artist amazed by an innovation of the plan, with the help of which he expresses the inconsistency of his era. Becoming the court artist, he reached great mastery in the genre of the portrait, captured a considerable number of its famous contemporaries. Working on portraits, cranes belonged to models with sympathy, but without admiration; He did not idealize his customers, although not particularly sought to penetrate their inner world.

Lucas Senior cranes died on October 16, 1553 in Weimara. The dynasty founded by them existed until the XVII century.

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Portrait painting of the Renaissance era

German painter Lucas Senior cranes (1472-1553)

Part 1

Princess Sibilla Klevskaya

Portrait of Saxon Prince

Portrait of Saxon princess

Johann Friedrich Great

Portrait of Magdalene Luther

Portrait of George Spalatin

Portrait of a girl

Kurfürst Johann Friedrich Saxon

Girl with grapes and apple

Duke Johann II Ankhalt

Female portrait

Joachim I Nestor, Kurfürste Brandenburg

Portrait of Christina Eleneu

Male portrait

Portrait of a girl, possibly Emily Saxon

Portrait of a man in a red double

Magdalena Saxon, wife of Joachim II of Branderburg

Portrait of Moritz Buchner

Female portrait

Joachim II, Kurfürst Brandenburg

Cranes Lucas Senior - Biography

Lukas senior cranes (it. Lucas Cranach Der Ältere, Kronech, Upper Franconia, October 4, 1472 - Weimar, October 16, 1553) - German painter and Renaissance era schedule, Master of picturesque and graphic portraits, genre and biblical compositions, syntheated in their work Gothic traditions with the Renaissance artistic principles. One of the founders of the Danube School; Developed a sophisticated style with a harmonious connection of the shapes and landscape. The court painter of the Saxon Kurfursta Friedrich Wise in Wittenberg (1505-1550), head of a big workshop, a supporter of the ideas of the Reformation and a friend of Luther.

Lucas Cranes were born in Kronach, Upper Franconia. The date of his birth and the surname of the Father, who worked in the crown artist, cannot be established by researchers. From the birth of Crants, Zyandnder was named (other pronunciation options - Zunder, Sonder), later became known as Lucas and took the name of his native town as a surname, which sounded then as cranes. Presumably, the visual arts of Crants initially studied at his father.

With early adolescence, he wandered in Germany in search of calling. In 1493, a young man went to the Holy Land - Palestine. In 1501, the artist arrived in Vienna, where he stayed to 1504. It is precisely to the Vienna period that his first famous paintings signed by Lucas Cranes are. Then he entered the service to the Saxon Kurfurist Friedrich Mudrom. In 1508, the cranes were granted in the noblemen and in the same year visited the Netherlands. He headed the art workshop, in which there were more than ten assistants, published books, combining these classes with bookstores. Gradually, the artist became the richest Burger Wittenberg, repeatedly elected by the burgomist of the city.

Lucas Cranes was a supporter of the Reformation. He illustrated Protestant pamphlets, repeatedly wrote portraits of his friend M. Luther and financed the edition of the Bible translated into German.

The early works of the artist amazed by an innovation of the plan, with the help of which he expresses the inconsistency of his era. Becoming the court artist, he reached great mastery in the genre of the portrait, captured a considerable number of its famous contemporaries. Working on portraits, cranes belonged to models with sympathy, but without admiration; He did not idealize his customers, although not particularly sought to penetrate their inner world.

Lucas Senior cranes died on October 16, 1553 in Weimara. The dynasty founded by them existed until the XVII century.

Personality Lucas Senior Kraanach (Lucas Cranach Der Ältere) does not fit into the framework of the ideas about a romantic single hero, which is inspired beautiful ladies, and B. free time Reflects O. clean love. The German painter of the Renaissance, basically attracted the causes of the Reformation, the ideas of Protestantism, and thoughts about high and bright feelings were replaced by reflections on art.

Love for creativity at Lucas was laid in the genes, the young painter continued the artist's dynasty, which his grandfather began, and then father, Hans Meier. He became the first mentor of his son, who decided to go on a fashionable road to art.

Coming out from under the warm father's wing, Lucas went to the traditional journey of Germany for beginner painters. And if you carefully examine the works of the older crane, then you can make an original "card" of his creative route. So, we know that the painter began his "marathon" in Bavaria, where the first works wrote under the influence of local masters. From there, Lucas moved to Austria, and a little later turned out to be in Vienna, mountain landscapes, lakes and the valleys of which remained forever captured on the artist's canvases.

In these picturesque parts, he stayed for five years and during that time wrote a lot of work, which began to be popular almost immediately, as soon as they came out from under the author's brush. Of course, during the years of creating a crucifixion, "stigmatization of St. Francis" and "repentance of St. Jeronima" about the ideal promising construction did not go and speech. Moreover, the compositions were overloaded with details, and the drawing looked as if consisted of curly chaotic lines. But Master Delal win-win bid. On the image of nature, believing that its uniqueness lies in the mystery of the universe hidden in it.

In the early stages creative development The senior cranes showed himself as a brave innovator: on his canvases was traced the bold believability of images, asymmetric composition and expressive color solutions. It is no coincidence that the paintings of the Vienna period led contemporaries of Kranah to the idea that a new painter appeared in European art, who knows how to feel the landscape.

At the same time in more late works "Palm Championship" gets a fabulous idyllic image manner and poetic perception of nature. In a word, objective reality gradually inferior to the romantic vision of the world. Later, similar principles formed the basis of the Danube School of Painting, in the spirit of which in 1504 a picture was written "Holidays in Egypt". This canvas got the glory of the jewelry drawing and became indicative example For those who only mastered new directions of the landscape.

By this time, the artist was mastered by the ideas of humanism. The reason was to communicate with scientists, mathematicians, doctors and historians, with whom the cranes communicated in Vienna, one of the centers of humanistic culture, where science was actively developed. The ideals of the progressive direction were implemented in the pictures of Venus and Amur and the Martyrdom of St. Katerina.

"Venus and Amur" was written at the time when the painter acutely felt rapid changes in the fashion and tastes of his era. In 1509, working on the "Venus and Amur", the senior cranes deliberately refused all the colors, except for yellow and gold, so the figures of the goddess and her son look like cast statues. The picture "Venus and Amur" became experimental for Kranah, because before that the artist never depicted naked bodies in a natural value. Having finished the work, the painter in the edification of the descendants left the philosophical message, which says:

"With all the forces of the roney, Cupidonovo Sweistance. Otherwise, your blinded soul will master Venus "

If, during work on Venger, Krantu had to be pretty "blushing", depicting naked figures, then when writing portraits, a modest artist took the soul and drew in detail lush outfits His companions. The most famous portrait belly of the painter was devoted to the Saxon Duke Henry's pious and his wife Katerina Mecklenburg. In the young years, Heinrich collected guns, and the senior cranes wiped them and helped themselves. The picture was conceived as a parade wedding image, so the spouses appear in front of the viewer in luxurious clothes on a black background, and next to them are their favorite pets, symbolizing loyalty: a huge dog at the feet of the duke and Bologna near the duchess.

A turning point in the work of Kranah Senior became acquainted with Martin Luther - the author of famous theses. This friendship led to the fact that the artist moved away from painting, and the ideas of Protestantism took the basis of the new plots. In this spirit, three portraits of the church reformer were written, the most famous of which became "Portrait of Martin Luther in the image of Knight Yorga."

Few people know that he spent some time in the fortress of Wartburg, where he moved to secular clothes, let go of the beard and began to call himself Jorg. Luther did not want to be caught, so he told the place of his location in a letter only Kranakh, inspiring it to create a famous painting.

The artist was famous not only for skillful works, but also in good faith. The main requirement that the customers was presented and he - himself were the responsibility and foundation of labor. Do not allow negligence and rush, the cranes tried to find new types and schemes, and then grinded the skill to the ideal.

Such a fanatical desire for perfection played with an artist's evil joke: Lucas Senior cranes developed a virtuoso, but the stereotypical letter of the letter, and later the art of the artist became monotonous and fan. In the old age, the painter worked a little, but his workshop continued to exist.

From now on, other representatives of the dynasty worked there - the Hans Brothers and Lucas cranes younger.

At the XXXIV Antique Salon in Moscow demonstrates "Madonna with Angels" of the Lucas Cranach workshop from the private assembly. About the Master of the Renaissance, we tell us in the heading "Artist of the Week"

Lukas senior cranes. One of the most popular German masters of the XVI century. Representative of the Renaissance, the court artist of Kurfürst Friedrich Wise, follower of Alfred Dürer and Jerome Bosch, was born on October 4, 1472 in the town of Kronech, whose name was subsequently transformed into the name of the artist.

Father and Grandfather Kranah were also painters, and Aza Crafts he fastened under the leadership of the Father, Hans Muller, whose name was preserved only in indirect references.

There are no accurate information about the years of childhood and youth Lucas Cranach, but much experts suggest with a lot of probability. By custom of that time, graduating initial learning In the Father's Workshop, he in the 1490s - 1500s, most likely, goes on a trip to the Sudenai region. His early works suggest that he was in Bavaria, they feel familiar with the works of the Bavarian masters.

In 1500-1504, Crants live in Vienna. Here he meets the work of Albrecht Dürer, which has an impact of such noticeable that, for example, early work Kranah "Adam and Eve" was enrolled in the Uffizi Gallery at the end of the XVI century, as the work of Durera; Later, the authorship of Cranach was confirmed, as well as the fact that he used the Durer composition of the same name for writing this work.

By the beginning of the 1500s, the earliest reached works signed by the name Lucas cranes, - religious scenes, landscapes, portraits ("Crucifix", "Holidays on the way to Egypt" (1504, Picture gallery, Berlin-Dale), "Paired wedding portrait of Dr. Johann Kupinian"). These works are somewhat messy, there are no more small details and a multidimensional composition that will be inherent in Kraanha's paintings in the future.

In 1505, the cranes enters the service to the Saxon Friedrich Mudrome, with the courtyard of which he will hold in Wittenberg most His life (about 45 years) as a court artist. Friedrich Wise, Dreaming Make Wittenberg Large cultural Center, highly appreciates the artist. It is possible that general religious aspirations contribute to this - both of them support the reformation and are familiar with Martin Luther. Crankhip's acquaintance with Luther took place in the early 1520s and soon turned into close friendship. Having adopted Luther's teachings, Lucas becomes the "painter of the Reformation": Creates paintings and engravings expressing ideas of the Reformation, illustrates the writings of Luther, writes his portraits ("Portrait of Martin Luther").

In 1508, Kranakh granted the nobility and personal coat of arms: on the shield - the snake (dragon) with wings battle, then turning into a dragon with bird wings. The coat of arms became his personal signature and later the brand of his workshop. In the same year, Friedrich sends Crankha with a diplomatic mission to the Emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire Maximilian I in the Netherlands, where he will stay until 1509. In such an order, there is nothing surprising: at that time, court artists often alternated creativity with diplomacy and achieved success on both fields (a shitty example - diploma diplomatic career).

In the Netherlands, Cranes will come close to the work of Jerome Bosch (and even writes a copy of it the most famous work « Scary court"), He has influenced Gertgen Totta and Van der Gus. After this trip in Crankha's works in large quantities Altar images appear, Madonna images. In addition to portraits, he begins to write custom-made cabinets of a small format. By the same time, the first appeals of the master to the plots and heroes antique mythology. In 1509, he writes "Venus and Amur" - the first in Northern Europe An image of a naked ancient goddess (until Eva wrote so much). For the crane itself, this is the first attempt to portray the naked body, and even in full size. In this work, the renaissance attitude towards beauty is connected to Lutheran severity and aspiratory. The inscription in Latin warns the viewer: "With all the forces of the Goney, Cydonono Sweistance, otherwise your blinded soul will master Venus."

Upon returning from the Netherlands, Crans are profitably married to the daughter of the richest Wittenberg brewer and builds own house. The benevolence of the power of property, high fees and considerable incomes from shops received in the dowry for his wife, to forty years, are transformed into the past of the wandering rooted painter in a wealthy esteemed tricky citizen, owner of land, houses, own workshops (from where the paintings of the sons and followers of the artist come from Created by its motives and signed by its monogram - winged dragon) and printing houses, where prints are replicated from his work. Over time, the cranes becomes a member of the city council, three times in different time Performed by his treasurer, and in 1537 he is elected by the ruling Burgomistrome of Wittenberg.

In the 1510-30th, he focused on writing portraits, as well as genre paintings - mainly on mythological and biblical plots. From under his brush, an increasingly sophisticated and mannered in favor of numerous customers, endless "Adam and Eve", "Judith", "Magdalen", "Versavia" - plots where it was possible to depict a naked body, exquisite clothes and backgrounds. These cabinet paintings are intended to decorate interiors in houses of venel or patrician. It is not by chance that the cranes chooses such topics for them as "Venus", "Lucretia", "Court of Paris", "unequal couple", corresponding to the tastes of high-ranking customers.

In the second half of life, the cranes are less practiced by art - almost all of his time is occupied by the fulfillment of diplomatic instructions. However, this brings unexpected results. In 1526, the cranes at the head of the embassy went to the court of Kurfürst John III of the Peacemaker to conclude a preliminary marriage treaty between the prince of Johann Friedrich and the 14-year-old daughter John III Sibylla Klevskaya. This trip was successful and for European politics (the wedding took place in 1527), and especially for the history of world art: Cranes created many portraits of Sibilla. It was she who gave her appearance to the typical appearance of the Krakhovsky woman - a high blonde, with almond-shaped eyes, a sharp chin, elongated body outlines. Such were his numerous biblical (Eva, Judith, Maria), Life (Lucretia) and mythological (Venus) characters.

In old age, the cranes work is not working, but the number of paintings signed by him - the winged dragon does not decrease. His workshop in which he carries out general leadership is very fruitful. Master of the masters of his sons Hans Crants and Lucas cranes younger. After the death of the Father, they will take on behalf of the workshop.

For their own long life Cranes managed to visit the court artist with the courts of three Kurfurst, was a diplomat, a politician, a valet. After the death of Friedrich wise, not having direct heirs, cranes remains at the court of his brother, Johann solid, and even becomes a mentor of his son, Johann Friedrich, subsequently received a nickname Generous. It is known that when Johann Friedrich came prisoner to Emperor Carlo V, Cranes begged the emperor about gracious attitude towards his pupil. Later, at the request of Johann Friedrich, a very elderly artist joined him in Augsburg, he lived in a few months and after his liberation in 1552 he accompanied him to Weimar.

Kraanoha, for 10 years of Hans Hans Holshene Jr. and 25 - Düreir and Grünevald, can rightly be called the last representative of the "Great Generation" of the Epoch Northern Renaissance.

Lucas cranes Senior left a grand creative heritage, in which all the main features of the phenomenon are clearly visible, which later art historians will be called "Danube School", and Kranah himself is one of its founders. Danube School of Painting - Direction in painting and graphics of South Germany and Austria half XVI A century, for which a gap with a craft tradition, freedom of fantasy, emotionality, interest in nature, fantastic characters, space, light and color, dynamic composition, gusty and sharp patterns of the pattern.

Today, crane images created 500 years ago, recognizable and quite popular: fashionable outfits from his secular portraits are copied by reconstructors and simply lovers of antiquity, and the animated picture based on the plot-developed plot "Adam and Eve" was concerned about the screensaver popular series "Desperate Housewives".

Lucas Cranach Elder (1472-1553), German Painter and Renaissance Age. He studied at his father. He worked in Austria (about 1500-1504), in Wittenberg at the courtyard of the Saxon Friedrich wise and his successors (1505-1550), in Augsburg (1550-1552) and Weimara (1552-1553).
Already in the first works, the artist showed himself to be a bold innovator. In the compositions, he avoided the traditions of iconography using more bright colors and expressive landscapes. The sample of this style was "rest on the way to Egypt" (1504) - shining painting with jewelry prescribed heroes.
When the cranes moved to Wittenberg, a talented painter noticed the ruling Saxon Kurfürst Friedrich wise and closer to his yard. how real man The era of the revival of cranes Senior was a wagon. In addition to painting, he was engaged jewelry decorations, church utensil, developed clothes, sketches of tapestries and fabrics, painted the walls and decorated holidays.
In 1508, the senior cranes went to the Netherlands to the Netherlands, where he met Jerome Bosch, the most mystical artist of that time, and joined the sect of "Garden Brothers". The adept sects dreamed of returning the legendary golden age and confessed complete freedom in love. Under the impression of their ideas, in 1509 the artist announced the heyday of the Northern Renaissance, for the first time in german art By portraying a naked woman. True, while it was the goddess Venus. So, with his light hands in German painting appeared prechristian mythological themes and nude bodies.
In the 1510th, the senior cranes writes a lot of fuses for nobility and scenes of hunting, becoming a legislator of manherism. Heroes of his mythological scenes acquire portrait similarity with noble people who are willing him to positive, taking part in these picturesque productions. Characterized for this period of creativity and exquisite cabinets for religious topics, for example, "Christmas Christ".
Portraits of women of the senior crane is hard not to recognize. His female images - Fragile princesses with diagonal feline eyes and sweet semi-jams.
In the 1520s, the senior cranes are one of the richest and respected people of Wittenberg and therefore can afford some of the liberty. For example, take and even write portraits of the scandalous religious reformer Martin Luther. These portraits of thousands of engraved prints apply to the people. In addition, Cranes illustrates on their own money, the "September Gospel" of Luther has thundered to all Germany.

Lucas cranes younger "Father portrait" 1550

Venus and Amur 1509, Hermitage, St. Petersburg

"Madonna with a baby under the apple tree" 1526, State Hermitage

"Mystical engagement of St. Catherine with Saint Dorothea, Margarita and Barbara"

"Christ and Our Lady"

"Princess Sibilla Klevskaya" 1526, State Art Assembly, Weimar

"Christ and sinner"

"Prince Saxony" 1517, National Gallery Arts, Washington

"Adam and Eva" 1526, Gallery of the institute Kurto, London

"Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden"

"Adam and Eve"

"Christmas"

"Nursing Madonna"

"Melancholy" 1532

"Madonna with a baby with St. Anna"

"Mesallians" 1532, National Museum, Stockholm

Throughout the life of Lucas Cranes, the eldest remained a wonderful master of the ostropsychological, monumental portrait ("Dr. Johann Kupinian", 1502-1503, the meeting of the Oscar of Reinhard, Winterthur; "Johannes Shener", 1529, Museum of Star Art, Brussels). From the paintings of Kranakh on religious themes, the most worthy of attention: "Our Lady" (St. Yakov Cathedral, Innsbruck); "Crucifixion of Christ" (old Pinakotek, Munich); "Repentance of Saint Jerome" (Museum of Art History, Vienna); "Madonna with a baby under the apple tree" (Hermitage, St. Petersburg) and "Madonna in the vineyard" (GMIA them. A.S. Pushkin, Moscow), several images of Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge of good and evil (in Berlin, Dresden, Florence and other places), history of Yudith (in Vienna, Dresden, Stuttgart, etc.), "Bludnica before Christ" (in Munich, Kassel, Nuremberg and Budapest) and others. Some conjunction compositions have cultural and historical importance, as performed in the spirit of the Reformation and Protestantism.

"Repentance of Saint Jerome" 1503

"Raising Nymph" 1530-1535

"Court of Paris" 1512-1514

"Portrait young man" 1521

"Portrait of a woman" 1526

"Hercules and Antey"

"Hercules at Ommmi" 1537

"Young woman" 1530

"Venus and Amur"

"Offended Amur and Venus" 1530

"Apollo and Diana" 1530

"Crucifixion with centurion" 1536

Pictures of Lucas Cranach mythological themes "Venus with Amur", "Apollo and Diana", "Amur and Bees", "Hercules with a busty" and others created by him, or came out of his workshop, are then repeated in a variety of copies of the artist's workshop. Portraits of crane, large and small, were distributed in many collections and artistic meetings Europe. Such as, for example, portraits of Kurfürst, Luther, his wife, Cardinal Albrecht Brandenburg and Kurfurstina Saxony Sibilla. German painter Lucas cranes Senior also wrote the scenes of the princely hunt and genre paintings. Very few crane engravings on copper (for example, portraits of Kurfürst, Martin Luther and St. John the Theologian) indicate the absence of a tendency to the works of this kind. But numerous engravings on the tree, performed in his workshop, enjoyed widespread success german confirm and burghers. After the death of Friedrich the wise artist remained at the court of Johann of a solid, replaced brother on the throne. Lucas Krants became the mentor of his son, the prince of Johann Friedrich, subsequently the future of the Saxon generous Kurfürst. In 1550, Kurfürst Johann Friedrich, who fell into disgrace of Emperor Charles V, was captured, and then sent to the link. The faithful to his pupil to the end, Lucas Cranes in 1550 went to Augsburg to Kurfürshu Johann Friedrich in captivity and, two years later, together with the latter, moved to Weimar, where he died on October 16, 1553. The artist Lucas Krants died the last of the representatives of the Great Generation of the Masters of the German Northern Renaissance, for 10 years I survived Hans Baldung and Hans Hans Holshene and 25th Albrecht Düreir and Mattias Grunevalda. Crankha's creativity at one time had a great influence on the picturesque schools of Central and Northern Germany.

"Dr. Johann Kupinian" 1503

"Portrait of Anna Kupinian" 1503

"Johann Friedrich Genhable, Kurfürst Saxon"

"Ekaterina Bora"

"Martin Luther"

"Portrait of Gerhart Volka"

"Portrait of a girl" (possibly Emilia Caxon)

"Georg Bearded, Duke Saxon"

"Christ and Samaritanian at the source"

"Allegory Melancholy" 1528

"Lot with daughters"

"Johann Solid, Saxon Kurfürst"

"Portrait of George Spaladina" 1509

"Judith with Ololofer's head"

"Praying about the bowl"