In the Footsteps of Cranach

A Journey of Discovery

Twelve German towns and cities have come together in the 'Routes to Cranach' project to bring the life and works of the renowned Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach to the widest audience.

Lucas Cranach the Elder is especially well known for his portraits of Martin Luther and other leaders of the Protestant Reformation. In his role as court painter to the Electors of Saxony, he met Luther in around 1520 and became his close friend, a friendship which endured for the rest of his life. They even became godparents to each other’s children.

Despite this strong bond with Martin Luther, and his work on numerous pieces protesting against the extravagances of the papacy, Cranach also created Catholic works and developed a wide array of religious and secular subjects. He was both a successful painter and entrepreneur, working in a studio together with his sons and employing several other painters. Alongside Albrecht Dürer, Cranach is the outstanding painter of the German Renaissance.

We invite you to explore the regions, towns and places where Cranach the Elder and his family lived and worked. Travel through the historical towns in the heartland of the German Reformation in Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt and discover magnificent altarpieces in churches and impressive works of art in museums.

Download the booklet In the Footsteps of Cranach (3.3 MB) or click below to read it online.