Lucas Cranach the Elder (Workshop), Young Jesus and Saint John the Baptist
1518, oil on canvas, laid down on wooden panels, 28 x 18.5 cm, indicated at the bottom-left corner: 1518, at the upper half of the drawing in characters changed to Hebrew: S. JOHANNES BAPTI
Inv. no. V/71/21/K1, 1971 Donation Walter Hentschel
During the first half of the 16th century Cranach’s workshop and his way of painting was predominant in Central Europe. His ingenuity rapidly spread in the art of those times, especially his compositions illustrating new theological doctrinal contents relating to Martin Luther respectively humanistic ideas. One important component is the so-called ‘protestant allegory’, meaning memorable images such as the law and the mercy, Jesus Christ remaining victor over death and devil or Jesus and Saint John the Baptist. There are various versions of these motifs created by Cranach’s workshop.