Silver Statuette of St. Simon, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 5/16 × 2 11/16 in. (13.5 × 6.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.54.50
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate woodcut print, *Silver Statuette of St Simon, from the Witten Reliquaries*, captures likeness of a silver statuette of the apostle saint, likely part of a revered collection of holy relics from Wittenberg, Germany. by Lucas Cranach the, a leading figure of the German Renaissance and close associate of Martin Luther, the work reflects the era's blend of religious devotion and emerging Protestant influences. Wittenberg, the heart of the Reformation, housed such reliquaries in its churches, making this image a window into 16th-century Catholic piety just as it faced challenge. Cran...
About the Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder · 1472–1553
Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472-1553) was one of the most prominent German Renaissance painters and a key artistic figure of the Protestant Reformation. Born in Kronach, Franconia, to the painter Hans Maler, Cranach began his career in Vienna around 1502, where he became one of the founders of the Danube School, a movement characterized by expressive landscape painting and emotional force. His ea...