Luther In 1533

Painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder, this depiction of Martin Luther may be deceiving.  This painting portrays Luther as a very serene man, although he was quite the opposite.  Considering his facial expression, some may come to the conclusion that Luther was a recluse and kept to his own business.  The artist may have used this technique to give the viewer an unbiased view of Luther’s personality.  Similar to Di Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the viewer is forced to think about what they see and use their imagination to understand the meaning of the painting.

Martin Luther is one of the most revolutionary religious figures in history.  In the 16th century, the Catholic Church sold indulgences to the common people of Italy.  The citizens believed that their sins would be rid of if they paid for an indulgence.  Despite being a priest, Martin Luther disagreed with this practice and saw it as immoral.  In 1517, he protested against this practice by posting his 95 theses condemning the selling of indulgences on the door of the Wittenburg chapel.  Due to the perseverance of Luther by not taking back his words in front of the Diet of Worms, he was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1520. (Martin Luther)  If it were not for the perseverance of one man, there might be even much corruption within the Catholic church of today.