CRANACH, Lucas, a celebrated German painter, was b. in the bishopric of Bamberg in the year 1472. Little is known of his early life, except that he was instructed in art by his father—that he visited Palestine in 1493, with the elector Frederick the wise of Saxony, who made him his court painter in 1504, at which period we find him in high reputation, especially noted for his facility. In 1508, the elector made him a grant of armorial bearings, having for crest a winged serpent. lie made a journey into the Netherlands in 1509, and there drew a picture of Charles Y.—the future emperor—then nine years old. C. seems to have acted as factotum at the court of the elector and his two successors, preparing for and directing the ceremonies and festivities, and knew besides how to follow other lucrative trades. In 1520, be bought an apothecary's busi ness at Wittenberg, where he was also a bookseller and paper-maker, became coup. cilor and chamberlain, and was twice chosen burgomaster of the town.
C. was closely bound up with the early reformers. He was the intimate friend of
Luther, whose picture he several times painted. In 1550, he went to Augsburg to share the imprisonment of the elector, and returned with him to Saxony in 1552. C. died at Weimar, on the 16th Oct., 1553, in the 81st year of his age, and was buried in the court church there. He had two sons, one of whom, Lucas, was known by the name of " the younger Cranach," an excellent colorist and portrait-painter.
C. has left behind him an unusually large number of authentic pictures—indeed, lie painted beyond his powers. He excelled in portraits, in painting animals, in fabulous and droll pieces, and was an excellent colorist; but failed in form, grace, and unity, and in the higher walks of art. His last and greatest work is an altar-piece in the church of Weimar—a mystical representation of the crucifixion. His peculiar humor is best seen in such pictures as his " Samson and Delilah" and his sylvan scene contain ing "Apollo and Diana."