Katharina of Bora, half-length, facing left

Katharina von Bora Half-Length Facing Left (c.1526) belongs to the campaign of portrait production that followed the Luther-Katharina marriage of June 1525 — one of the Reformation's most politically symbolic events. This half-length facing left is among the more refined versions of the type, showing the care Cranach invested in the most significant examples of Katharina's portrait series. The facing-left convention in German portraiture typically placed the female sitter in a specific spatial relationship to a male companion portrait — usually facing right — suggesting this was conceived as part of a pair with a Luther portrait facing the opposite direction. The location of this panel is unknown, indicating it may be in a private collection, and the portrait circulated widely enough to create this uncertainty about its current whereabouts. The costume detail — particularly the lace collar and the jewel at the neckline — documents the Lutheran household's material prosperity and respectability.

The precise, smooth finish characteristic of Cranach's workshop allows extraordinary detail in the lace of the collar and the jewellery at the neckline. The face is observed with particular attention — the slight asymmetry and watchful eyes suggest sittings from life. The restricted palette of red, black, and gold is consistent with Cranach's Protestant portrait formula.