Lucas Cranach the Elder

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) was a German Renaissance painter, regarded as a master of the Danube school alongside Altdorfer and others. In 1505 he was invited by Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, to become court painter in Wittenberg, and produced portraits and altarpieces.

Around 1508 or 1509 he traveled to Flanders, where he encountered the painting style of the Renaissance and for the first time painted a nude Venus. He later became known for a distinctive style seen in his slender, tall female figures.

After Frederick's death he continued to serve for three generations, under John the Steadfast and John Frederick the Magnanimous, and under John Frederick in particular he was influenced by Luther's ideas. He died in 1553. One of his works is Portrait of John Frederick the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony.