Portrait of Martin Luther (Lucas Cranach the Elder)

Portrait of Martin Luther may refer to any oil painting from a series of portrayals of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach the Elder. That artist and his studio produced countless painted and printed portraits of Luther and it is often difficult to determine to what extent the paintings are autograph works. They often formed a diptych with a portrait of Luther's wife Katharina von Bora or his close associate Philipp Melanchthon.

Cranach was a close friend and follower of Luther who was also active in Wittenberg. In addition to the portraits, Cranach also produced designs for the woodcuts for the first edition of the reformer's German translation of the New Testament in 1522. Otherwise, however, his choice of motifs cannot be said to have been influenced by his Lutheran faith. He painted mythological and biblical motifs, images of saints and executed many portraits – even of religious opponents such as Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg.

The 1526 work from the series in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm is accompanied by one of von Bora from 1527. Both were acquired by the museum from the parish of Söderfors in 1887. Their naturalistic background enables them to concentrate on the subjects' portrayal and to emphasize their hard, serious expressions. The spirit of the Reformation is clear in the images' lack of flattery and expression of a strict ethical stance.

The 1532 work from the series in the National Gallery of Denmark is signed with a winged dragon. It was acquired for the royal collections as early as 1674. Another two of Luther from 1529 and 1543 are in the Uffizi, paired with one of von Bora and one of Melanchton respectively.