Lucas Cranach: From German Myth to Reformation

by Jennifer Nelson

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 and appealing symbolism that resonated with the populace in early modern Germany. Along with Cranach’s more well-known works, Jennifer Nelson explores his extensive repertoire of female nudes, and shows how these seductive artworks not only tantalized his patrons but constructed a deep history of Germany’s notional connections with ancient Greece and Rome.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 29, 2024

About the author

As executive producer at Classic FM, Jennifer Nelson works with presenters including Alexander Armstrong and Bill Turnbull. She has produced Classic FM's weekly film music programme since 2014, interviewing many of the directors and composers featured in this book. She has won Gold Sony Radio Academy Awards as producer of music documentaries for BBC 6 Music and Absolute Radio, and was named 'Producer of the Year' at the inaugural Global Awards in 2015. She is currently studying part-time at Birkbeck University for a Creative Industries Management MSc and when she isn't in the radio studio or university library, can often be found in the cinema.