German Renaissance – and Cranach Paints for the Reformation

Beltracchi considered various poses for Luther. In this sketch, the law student raises his folded hands beseechingly toward Saint Anne, while at the same time looking out of the picture toward the viewer.

This sketch for the painting shows Martin Luther, who has taken shelter under a tree in the middle of a fierce thunderstorm. When a lightning bolt hits the ground next to him, he falls to his knees and calls on Saint Anne for help.

In Northern Europe, deer symbolize redemption and Christianity’s victory over evil. In a preliminary sketch, Wolfgang Beltracchi experiments with the deer’s movement. Should the animal approach carefully, rear up, or flee?

The artist, however, finally decided to use a pose visualizing the moment of epiphany: Luther raises his hands and eyes devotedly toward the heavens. Because now he knows that he wants to become a monk.

Beltracchi now begins painting the picture in color. While all the natural elements are painted in, he leaves the symbolic elements blank and tests their color schemes on a separate piece of paper.

In this watercolor study, Beltracchi wraps Saint Anne in a green cloak. In Christian illustrations this stands for hope of transformation and renewal.

Martin Luther gets a red robe. Red as the color of fire, blood and love is figurative for enthusiasm, for “burning” for God. Carmine red is regarded as a sign of deep belief.

With the help of the dabbing technique also used here by Wolfgang Beltracchi, Cranach avoided having his apprentices leave traces of their own styles behind on his pictures.

The German Renaissance is known and appreciated for precision of details. The painters worked on the main features meticulously with the help of magnifying lenses. Beltracchi paints Saint Anne with a very thin paint brush using a strong magnifying glass.