A Princess of Saxony
c. 1517
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
overall: 43.4 x 34.3 cm (17 1/16 x 13 1/2 in.) framed: 58.4 x 48.9 cm (23 x 19 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CNE-R
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ralph and Mary Booth Collection
Accession Number
1947.6.2
Art Historical Context
**A Princess of Saxony** is a captivating portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a leading figure of the German Renaissance, painted around 1517 in oil on panel. Measuring 43.4 x 34.3 cm, this intimate work exemplifies Cranach's role as court painter to the Electors of Saxony, where he produced numerous likenesses of nobility. The title identifies the sitter as a Saxon princess, likely a member of the Wettin dynasty that ruled the region during a pivotal era bridging the late Middle Ages and the Reformation. Cranach's style blends Northern European precision with subtle Italian Renaissance infl...
About the Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder · 1472–1553
Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472-1553) was one of the most prominent German Renaissance painters and a key artistic figure of the Protestant Reformation. Born in Kronach, Franconia, to the painter Hans Maler, Cranach began his career in Vienna around 1502, where he became one of the founders of the Danube School, a movement characterized by expressive landscape painting and emotional force. His ea...