Portrait of Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg
Historical Context
Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg was one of the central figures in the events that triggered the Reformation: it was his indulgence campaign, organised to pay for his archbishopric and the new St Peter's in Rome, that provoked Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. Cranach painted this 1526 portrait for the Hermitage at a moment when Albert remained a powerful figure in German Catholicism despite the Reformation's advance. The commission was presumably from Albert himself or his circle, and Cranach — by now closely associated with Luther — was navigating the complex politics of a Germany split between faiths by accepting it.
Technical Analysis
Albert's cardinal regalia — scarlet robes, broad-brimmed hat — gave Cranach the same brilliant chromatic opportunity that such commissions always provided. He renders the red vestments with saturated, warm tones that dominate the composition, while Albert's face — plump, intelligent, and slightly guarded — is observed with careful psychological attention.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice Cardinal Albrecht's elaborate vestments: the most extravagant ecclesiastical costume Cranach ever depicted, the cardinal's red robes rendered with his characteristic textile precision.
- ◆Look at how Albrecht's portly features are rendered with Cranach's characteristic honest likeness: no attempt to idealize the man whose indulgence-selling helped provoke the Reformation.
- ◆Find any religious attributes or symbols that accompany the cardinal: his hat, cross, or books.
- ◆Observe the historical irony: Cranach, Luther's closest artistic associate, repeatedly painted the cardinal whose actions helped trigger the Reformation.
