Lucas Cranach - (Renaissance Lives) by Jennifer Nelson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A revealing new account of the life and work of this early modern German printmaker.

This captivating biography brings Lucas Cranach the Elder into the spotlight for the twenty-first century. The illuminating narrative unveils an artist whose vision transcended personal brilliance as he sought to elevate a nascent nation and foster a sense of community with his work. Perhaps Cranach's most remarkable achievement lay in forging a robust Lutheran community, endowed with a resounding message of salvation. Using prints (the prevailing medium of mass communication) and multiple versions of paintings, he developed an intricate symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Jennifer Nelson also explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalized his patrons but constructed for them a deep history of Germany's notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.

Review Quotes

"The writing of a brief monograph aimed at a wide audience can sometimes be a treacherous undertaking. Scholars brave enough to embark on it must navigate between the shallow waters of the commonplace and the obfuscations of an academic discourse that in recent years has often tended to use works of art as screens onto which to project its presentist obsessions. Jennifer Nelson's study
of Lucas Cranach, published in Reaktion Books' Renaissance Lives series, rises to this challenge in an exemplary way. . . . her brief monograph not just a superb overview of all things Cranach but also rewarding reading for specialists."-- "Burlington Magazine"

"Cranach produced portraits of his friend Martin Luther throughout his life. Nelson's book explores how Cranach's paintings and prints helped foster a strong Lutheran community in 16th-century Saxony."-- "Apollo"

"Nelson's new book overflows with original, fascinating insights. It provides an excellent analysis of Cranach's career trajectory and the major themes in his artworks, deftly interconnected with the intellectual and religious developments of his time: an ideal exemplar of how to communicate serious research through witty, engaging writing."-- "Jeanne Nuechterlein, author of 'Hans Holbein: The Artist in a Changing World'"

About the Author

Jennifer Nelson is associate professor of art history at the University of Delaware. Her publications include Disharmony of the Spheres: The Europe of Holbein's Ambassadors.