Lukas Spielhausen
Original title: Lukas Spielhausen
kurzbeschreibung
Lukas Spielhausen, a jurist and close associate of the artist, appears in this portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, painted in 1532. Oil and gold on beech, 50.8 x 36.5 cm. The sitter is shown as a half-length figure in a calm, frontal pose.
Description
A man with a wavy red moustache and a brown hat looks slightly to the right. He wears a white shirt with red and black stripes, over it a black jacket in the same striped pattern. His hands are folded, a ring on one finger. A plain light-blue ground sets off the clear, high-contrast red, black and white. The arrangement is centred, keeping attention on head and upper body.
Context
Lucas Cranach the Elder served as court painter to the Saxon electors and ranks among the outstanding artists of the Reformation. The sitter, Lukas Spielhausen, was a respected jurist and a close confidant of the painter, which suggests a personal tie between the two. Dated 1532, the portrait falls in a period when Cranach produced many likenesses of scholars and townspeople. The use of gold points to the sitter's high standing.
Impact
Clear colour and a quiet, dignified expression define the portrait. The pared-down layout and the single-colour ground draw the eye to face and hands, creating a concentrated, almost intimate mood. The contrasting stripes of the clothing lend a lively yet ordered energy.
Technique
Oil and gold paint are applied to beech. The portrait measures 50.8 x 36.5 cm and presents the sitter as a half-length figure in a calm, frontal pose.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)