![Feilitzsch Altarpiece [left wing, recto]: Portrait of Jobst von Feilitzsch with St Peter by Lucas Cranach the Elder](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lucas_Cranach_d.%C3%84._-_Der_Feilitzscher_Altar_(ge%C3%B6ffnet)_(cropped1).jpg&width=1200)
Feilitzsch Altarpiece [left wing, recto]: Portrait of Jobst von Feilitzsch with St Peter
Historical Context
Lucas Cranach the Elder created this Feilitzsch Altarpiece wing around 1512, combining a portrait of Jobst von Feilitzsch with Saint Peter on the recto. Such donor-saint pairings were standard in German altarpiece wings, placing the patron under the protection of his name saint. Cranach ran a prolific workshop in Wittenberg, closely aligned with the Protestant Reformation and Luther's circle, producing works that blended German Gothic linearity with Renaissance ideals.
Technical Analysis
The panel shows Cranach's skill in juxtaposing realistic portrait observation with idealized saintly imagery, using his characteristic precise drawing for both the donor's physiognomy and Peter's apostolic attributes.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the recto donor portrait: Jobst von Feilitzsch kneels before Saint Peter, placing himself in the apostle's protection — the standard format for donor-saint wings in German altarpieces.
- ◆Look at how Cranach juxtaposes realistic portrait observation with idealized saintly imagery: the patron rendered with honest specificity, the saint with elevated dignity.
- ◆Find Peter's attributes — the keys to heaven — rendered with Cranach's precise detail even on a secondary altarpiece panel.
- ◆Observe how this double-sided panel (recto portrait, verso Saint John) was designed so that both faces served distinct devotional functions.
