Terms and conditions of use
Philipp Melanchthon
1532
Medium
oil on wood panel
Measurements
18.7 × 12.9 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1933
Gallery location
14th - 16th Century Gallery - Painting & Decorative Arts
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
This is one of many portraits of the famed German Lutheran reformer Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560) produced by the Wittenberg studio of Lucas Cranach the Elder over several decades. Cranach was the leading protestant artist in Reformation Germany and was a personal friend of both Melanchthon and Reformation instigator, Martin Luther. He illustrated Melanchthon’s devastating pamphlet The Passion of Christ and Anti-Christ of 1521. The beech used as a support here is unique to Cranach and his studio and was only employed between 1520 and 1535. The small size of this work suggests that it was painted as a gift.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Germany
Inscription
inscribed in black paint c.r.: 1532 / (dragon with crown)
Accession Number
4700-3
Department
International Painting
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Dame Carol Colburn-Grigor CBE through Metal Manufactures Limited
Subjects (general)
Biographical Portraits
Subjects (specific)
hands (animal components) men (male humans) Protestantism reformers theologians three-quarter views