DOI Artikel:
Krasny, Piotr: Lutherus honorandus, non adorandus?: reflexions on the development of Martin Luther's iconography after reading the book: Martin Luther, Monument, Ketzer, Mensch
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.38234#0131
130
3. Hans Baldung Grien, Martin Luther Enlightened by the Holy
Ghost, woodcut, 1531
as the theologians: Luther and Philip Melanchthon (1497-
-1560), standing around the Ark of the Covenant on
which the book with the Word of God is spread open. All
these men are enlightened by the light of the Holy Trin-
ity depicted by means of Gods name inscribed in Hebrew,
the Dove of the Holy Ghost, and an image of the crucified
Christ. Yet, Luther has been distinctly set apart from the
group, as only he responds to God’s enlightenment with
a clear gesture, in that he is pointing with his right to the
inscription in the book reading: Verbum Domini manet in
aeternum (1 Pet., 1, 25), adopted as the motto of the Refor-
mation.19
Treu’s opinion that Troschel’s widely disseminated
print had played a key role in establishing the iconogra-
phy of Luther as a new prophet seems to be very pertinent.
Nevertheless, one should also note much earlier works in
which distinct suggestions of such a mode of representing
the Reformer had appeared.
According to Heinz Schilling, Luther firmly believed he
was a new prophet. Although he never dared to call him-
self one in his writings20, he did not protest, either, when
the introduction to an edition of his writings, published
in Basle in 1518, claimed that ‘many consider [him] a Da-
niel sent at length in mercy by Christ to correct abuses
19 M. Treu, ‘Luther zwischen Kunst’, pp. 413-415 (as in note 9).
20 H. Schilling, Martin Luther, pp. 341-380 (as in note 2).
and restore a theology based on the Gospel and Paul’.21
Distinct hints to such a conviction were also cropping up
fairly early in works of art originating in Luther’s imme-
diate milieu, that were used to disseminate his reformist
ideas. As early as 1521 Hans Baldung Grien (1484 or 1485-
1545) executed a woodcut in which the Wittenberg theo-
logian is shown with the Dove of the Holy Ghost hovering
over his head and filling him with light that seems to form
a halo around his head [Fig. 3].22 Equally eloquent is the
depiction of Luther in the altarpiece in Sts Peter and Paul
church in Weimar, painted after his death by Cranach the
Elder [Fig. 4]. Its central panel shows St John the Baptist
and Luther standing side by side at the foot of the cruci-
fied Christ. The Precursor is pointing towards Christ, ap-
parently saying: ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world’ (J1, 29), while Luther, who, through
the painting’s composition was made equal to him, with
the same gesture indicates in the Bible the words uttered
by the Baptist.23
Luther declared that the mission of prophets was not
only to convey the proper teachings of God, but to care
about the correct celebration of God’s worship as well.24
The Reformer ascribed to himself enormous credit in
that regard, a fact that was fully acknowledged also by his
disciples.25 This conviction found a special expression in
a memorial painting in the Bekenntnisbild [confession im-
age] type, hung over Luther’s grave shortly after his fu-
neral. In the centre of this painting, whose appearance has
been preserved in a print by Lucas Cranach [Fig. 5] the
Younger, Luther was shown standing in a pulpit. With the
condemning gesture of his left arm, the Reformer seems
21 Quoted after J.M. Todd, Luther, p. 147 (as in note 17).
22 P.K. Schuster, ‘Luther als Heiliger’, in Luther und die Folgen
für die Kunst, ed. by W. Hoffmann, Munich, 1983, pp. 152-155;
K. Hollmann, ‘Martin Luther unter der Taube, Hans Baldung
Grien’, in Martin Luther und die Reformation, pp. 222-223 (as in
note 7).
23 C. Hecht, ‘Bildpolitik im Weimar der Reformationszeit. Das
Cranach-Triptychon in der Weimarer Stadtkirche St. Peter und
Paul’, in Bild und Bekenntnis. Die Cranach-Werkstatt in Weimar,
ed. by F. Bomski, H. T. Seemann, T. Valk, Göttingen, 2015, pp. 55-
-74-
24 M. Lutero, ‘Giudizio di Martin Lutero sulla neccessità di aboli-
re di messa privata (1521)’, in idem. Messa, sacrificio e sacerdozio
(1520-1521-1533), ed. by S. Nitti, Turin, 1995 (M. Lutero, Opere scel-
te, 7), pp. 170-173-
25 R. Kolb, Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero. Images
of the Reformer, 1520-1620, Grand Rapids, 1999 (unpaged dig-
ital edition, available at: https://books.google.pl/books?id=3
cIhZmgYeYC&lpg=PTi&ots=bfi-wJqflX&dq=Kolb%2C%20
Martin%2oLuther%2oas%2oProphet%2C%2oTeacher%2C%20
and%2oHero.%2oImages%20of%20the%2oReformer&pg=PTi
2#v=onepage&q=Kolb,%2oMartin%2oLuther%2oas%2oProph-
et,%2oTeacher,%2oand%2oHero.%2oImages%20of%20the%20
Reformer&f=false, access: 15.10.217); chapter: Description of Luther
as Apostle, Evangelist, and Prophet.
3. Hans Baldung Grien, Martin Luther Enlightened by the Holy
Ghost, woodcut, 1531
as the theologians: Luther and Philip Melanchthon (1497-
-1560), standing around the Ark of the Covenant on
which the book with the Word of God is spread open. All
these men are enlightened by the light of the Holy Trin-
ity depicted by means of Gods name inscribed in Hebrew,
the Dove of the Holy Ghost, and an image of the crucified
Christ. Yet, Luther has been distinctly set apart from the
group, as only he responds to God’s enlightenment with
a clear gesture, in that he is pointing with his right to the
inscription in the book reading: Verbum Domini manet in
aeternum (1 Pet., 1, 25), adopted as the motto of the Refor-
mation.19
Treu’s opinion that Troschel’s widely disseminated
print had played a key role in establishing the iconogra-
phy of Luther as a new prophet seems to be very pertinent.
Nevertheless, one should also note much earlier works in
which distinct suggestions of such a mode of representing
the Reformer had appeared.
According to Heinz Schilling, Luther firmly believed he
was a new prophet. Although he never dared to call him-
self one in his writings20, he did not protest, either, when
the introduction to an edition of his writings, published
in Basle in 1518, claimed that ‘many consider [him] a Da-
niel sent at length in mercy by Christ to correct abuses
19 M. Treu, ‘Luther zwischen Kunst’, pp. 413-415 (as in note 9).
20 H. Schilling, Martin Luther, pp. 341-380 (as in note 2).
and restore a theology based on the Gospel and Paul’.21
Distinct hints to such a conviction were also cropping up
fairly early in works of art originating in Luther’s imme-
diate milieu, that were used to disseminate his reformist
ideas. As early as 1521 Hans Baldung Grien (1484 or 1485-
1545) executed a woodcut in which the Wittenberg theo-
logian is shown with the Dove of the Holy Ghost hovering
over his head and filling him with light that seems to form
a halo around his head [Fig. 3].22 Equally eloquent is the
depiction of Luther in the altarpiece in Sts Peter and Paul
church in Weimar, painted after his death by Cranach the
Elder [Fig. 4]. Its central panel shows St John the Baptist
and Luther standing side by side at the foot of the cruci-
fied Christ. The Precursor is pointing towards Christ, ap-
parently saying: ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world’ (J1, 29), while Luther, who, through
the painting’s composition was made equal to him, with
the same gesture indicates in the Bible the words uttered
by the Baptist.23
Luther declared that the mission of prophets was not
only to convey the proper teachings of God, but to care
about the correct celebration of God’s worship as well.24
The Reformer ascribed to himself enormous credit in
that regard, a fact that was fully acknowledged also by his
disciples.25 This conviction found a special expression in
a memorial painting in the Bekenntnisbild [confession im-
age] type, hung over Luther’s grave shortly after his fu-
neral. In the centre of this painting, whose appearance has
been preserved in a print by Lucas Cranach [Fig. 5] the
Younger, Luther was shown standing in a pulpit. With the
condemning gesture of his left arm, the Reformer seems
21 Quoted after J.M. Todd, Luther, p. 147 (as in note 17).
22 P.K. Schuster, ‘Luther als Heiliger’, in Luther und die Folgen
für die Kunst, ed. by W. Hoffmann, Munich, 1983, pp. 152-155;
K. Hollmann, ‘Martin Luther unter der Taube, Hans Baldung
Grien’, in Martin Luther und die Reformation, pp. 222-223 (as in
note 7).
23 C. Hecht, ‘Bildpolitik im Weimar der Reformationszeit. Das
Cranach-Triptychon in der Weimarer Stadtkirche St. Peter und
Paul’, in Bild und Bekenntnis. Die Cranach-Werkstatt in Weimar,
ed. by F. Bomski, H. T. Seemann, T. Valk, Göttingen, 2015, pp. 55-
-74-
24 M. Lutero, ‘Giudizio di Martin Lutero sulla neccessità di aboli-
re di messa privata (1521)’, in idem. Messa, sacrificio e sacerdozio
(1520-1521-1533), ed. by S. Nitti, Turin, 1995 (M. Lutero, Opere scel-
te, 7), pp. 170-173-
25 R. Kolb, Martin Luther as Prophet, Teacher, and Hero. Images
of the Reformer, 1520-1620, Grand Rapids, 1999 (unpaged dig-
ital edition, available at: https://books.google.pl/books?id=3
cIhZmgYeYC&lpg=PTi&ots=bfi-wJqflX&dq=Kolb%2C%20
Martin%2oLuther%2oas%2oProphet%2C%2oTeacher%2C%20
and%2oHero.%2oImages%20of%20the%2oReformer&pg=PTi
2#v=onepage&q=Kolb,%2oMartin%2oLuther%2oas%2oProph-
et,%2oTeacher,%2oand%2oHero.%2oImages%20of%20the%20
Reformer&f=false, access: 15.10.217); chapter: Description of Luther
as Apostle, Evangelist, and Prophet.