Martin Luther with Doctoral Cap
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/8 × 1 5/8 in. (6 × 4.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Felix M. Warburg, 1920
Accession Number
20.64.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving, titled *Martin Luther with Doctoral Cap*, captures the reformer in profile, donning his doctoral cap—a symbol of his theological authority from the University of Wittenberg Attributed to Albrecht Altdfer or Lucas Cranach Elder, two Northern Renaissance masters known for their intricate detail and religious imagery, the print measures just 2 3/8 × 1 5/8 inches, ideal for portable devotion or broad dissemination during a turbulent era. Created around the time of the Protestant Reformation (date unknown), it reflects Luther's pivotal role in challenging Catholic doctrine...
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer|Lucas Cranach the Elder · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...