Christ and the Adulteress, mid-1540s
Lucas Cranach the Elder (Germany, 1472–1553)
Oil on wood
Above is a painting by Lucas Cranach of Christ and the Adulteress, which is a famous story from the Bible. I chose this painting because although it is inspired by a famous story from the Bible the theme which Cranach gave the painting is set in a different time than when the actual story took place. Also my professor posted a link to his work. Cranach gave the characters in the picture (except Jesus) the appearance of being from the same era as the himself; painting them in suits of armor and European clothing. However Jesus is wearing a robe connecting him to the correct time and culture, but Cranach is somehow able to maintain an overall European appearance. This piece could have been very controversial in its day due to the fact that it portrayed Jesus as being the savior of the woman without having any obvious catholic reference, showing that the catholic church had nothing to do with salvation. This point comes in alignment with Martin Luther’s findings in the Bible and the beliefs of the protestants; and it is translated into European characters relating it to the time which it was created. Also in the top edge of the painting the words in German saying, “He who is with out sin among you, let him cast the first stone,” (John 8:7). All of this would have possibly made it a very controversial piece during the Reformation.
In the art itself the people’s faces are all varied in expression and compressed into a crowd around Jesus, giving the piece a lively feeling. I like this piece because it seems completely void of mannerism’s influence; it is balanced in its portrayal of its characters and geometric in design, having Jesus in a central position, leaning towards Cranach’s largely humanist style. I also love the choice of colors in the piece; the colors that Cranach chose give a modern feel and a brightness that is visible even in the deeper shades of colors. But by far my favorite part of this piece, besides its controversial nature is the expressions of the two knights on the right-hand side. I love the almost comical feel they have which also adds to the light of the piece, taking it from the stoning of the woman to the joy that comes from the thought of being rescued.
Something I found interesting was that was Cranach was a close friend of Luther (Cranach.org), which would have made this particular piece very controversial not only because of it’s content but Cranach’s relation to Luther.
Works Cited
Metmuseum.org. February 8, 2013. (Web). February 11, 2013.
Cranach, Lucas. Christ and the Adulteress, ~1540 (Web). February 11, 2013.
Cranach.org. Fort Wayne, Indiana. February 8, 2013. (Web). February 11, 2013.
Nate's Thoughts 