The Cranach Portraits at the Muskegon Museum of Art
Thursday, January 12, 5:30 – 8:00 pm
5:30 pm Reception/7:00 pm Lecture
On Thursday, January 12, Muskegon Museum of Art Senior Curator Art Martin will reveal newly discovered information about two historical portraits in the MMA’s collection painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a 16th Century German artist in 1537. The paintings are of Martin Luther, a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation, and Katherine von Bora, his wife. The Museum acquired the artworks in 1939.
The paintings were brought to conservator Barry Bauman in 2013 for restoration, who uncovered previously unseen inscriptions in the artworks. The mystery of the meaning of the inscriptions was ultimately solved at a small church in Germany. Art Martin will explain the meaning of the inscriptions in the Cranach portraits, the era during which they were painted, and details about the intertwining lives of the artist and his subjects at the special lecture on January 12. The evening will start with a reception and refreshments at 5:30 pm, which will be followed by the lecture at 7:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
This program complements the exhibition Expressions of Faith, showing now at the MMA.