Lucas Cranach the Elder

Lucas Cranach the Elder was one of the leading German painters and printmakers of the early 16th century. He was born in Kronach, where he probably learned the art of drawing from his father, who was also a painter. He travelled to Vienna around 1500, where he produced some of his earliest works influenced by the Danube school of landscape painting. In 1505, he entered the service of the Electors of Saxony at Wittenberg, where he became a close friend and supporter of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. He painted many portraits of Luther and other reformers, as well as altarpieces, biblical scenes, and mythological subjects. He also made numerous woodcuts and engravings that were widely circulated and admired. He had a large workshop that included his sons Hans and Lucas the Younger, who continued his style after his death. He died in Weimar in 1553 and was buried in the City Church of St. Peter and Paul. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential German artists of his time.