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The Serpent and the Lamb: Cranach, Luther, and the Making of the Reformation
Together, Cranach's paintings and Luther's powerful oratory created a force field that transformed Germany, Europe, and ultimately the Western world
This compelling book retells and revises the story of the German Renaissance and Reformation through the lives of two controversial men of the sixteenth the Saxon court painter Lucas Cranach (the Serpent) and the Wittenberg monk-turned-reformer Martin Luther (the Lamb). Contemporaries and friends (each was godfather to the other’s children), Cranach and Luther were very different Germans, yet their collaborative successes merged art and religion into a revolutionary force that became the Protestant Reformation. Steven Ozment, an internationally recognized historian of the Reformation era, reprises the lives and works of Cranach (1472–1553) and Luther (1483–1546) in this generously illustrated book. He contends that Cranach's new art and Luther's oratory released a barrage of criticism upon the Vatican, the force of which secured a new freedom of faith and pluralism of religion in the Western world. Between Luther's pulpit praise of the sex drive within the divine estate of marriage and Cranach's parade of strong, lithe women, a new romantic, familial consciousness was born. The "Cranach woman" and the "Lutheran household"—both products of the merged Renaissance and Reformation worlds—evoked a new organization of society and foretold a new direction for Germany.
This compelling book retells and revises the story of the German Renaissance and Reformation through the lives of two controversial men of the sixteenth the Saxon court painter Lucas Cranach (the Serpent) and the Wittenberg monk-turned-reformer Martin Luther (the Lamb). Contemporaries and friends (each was godfather to the other’s children), Cranach and Luther were very different Germans, yet their collaborative successes merged art and religion into a revolutionary force that became the Protestant Reformation. Steven Ozment, an internationally recognized historian of the Reformation era, reprises the lives and works of Cranach (1472–1553) and Luther (1483–1546) in this generously illustrated book. He contends that Cranach's new art and Luther's oratory released a barrage of criticism upon the Vatican, the force of which secured a new freedom of faith and pluralism of religion in the Western world. Between Luther's pulpit praise of the sex drive within the divine estate of marriage and Cranach's parade of strong, lithe women, a new romantic, familial consciousness was born. The "Cranach woman" and the "Lutheran household"—both products of the merged Renaissance and Reformation worlds—evoked a new organization of society and foretold a new direction for Germany.
344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Steven E. Ozment
64 books31 followersA specialist in early modern and modern Germany, the European family, and the Protestant Reformation., Steven Ozment was the McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History emeritus at Harvard University.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Want to read
August 2, 2012I added this book to my to-read list after listening to this very interesting interview with the author:
http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/04/3...
http://www.albertmohler.com/2012/04/3...
August 12, 2012
To put it simply, The Serpent and the Lamb is one of the most respected historians of early modern Germany doing what he does best. As he has demonstrated in such prior works as The Burgermeister's Daughter and The Flesh and the Spirit, Ozment is brilliant at closely examining the primary texts of the period, liberating them from preconceptions and received opinion, and delivering to his readers insightful, surprising and frequently entertaining accounts of life in central Europe at the close of the medieval world five centuries ago.
In fact, Ozment is one of those historians of the period whose nonfiction is more interesting than the work of most historical novelists, precisely because the fruits of the archives are more surprising, and the actual historical personages more engaging, than a twenty-first century writer's imagination might permit.
Consider for example what Ozment has to say on the subject of Martin Luther's relationship to the Elector Friedrich of Saxony. There is no end to the number of books one can find, both non-fiction and historical fiction, who describe Luther as utterly dependent on Friedrich for protection and patronage, and who consider Luther's conservative response to the Peasant's War as the expression of a cringing submission to his Ernestine Wettin master.
Compare that version of events, supported by numerous layers of assumptions, to what Ozment actually finds in the correspondence of Luther and the Elector through the intermediary of Georg Spalatin: responding to an admonition from his electoral patron that Luther's characterization of medieval rulers' relic collections had become too extreme, Luther answers "I would rather lose you, [my] Sovereign, and the whole world with you than [to hold silence]...It's just not going to happen, Spalatin! It's just not going to happen, Elector!" (Page 140, elipsis added). Not exactly the words of a compliant lapdog.
For me that is just the most interesting application of Ozment's method here, but it's far from the only one that manages to entertain. Essentially, in this double biography of Cranach and Luther, Ozment also ventures into the life and works of renaissance Germany's second most famous artist and tries his hand at some art criticism. He proves himself plenty capable at this, and provides the reader great fun in describing the complexity of Cranach's numerous overlapping enterprises and chaotic life. For in addition to being the great painter entrusted with cathedral altarpieces and dynastic portraiture, Cranach ran a pharmacy, imported wine, operated a printing press, designed elaborate hunts for the Elector and visiting imperial guests, served as an interior decorator, and produced an endless supply of "tasteful" boudoir nudes for the elite of the German towns.
And of course it's at the moments when the commercial and artistic interests of Cranach intersect with Luther's rebellion against, well, everyone else in Europe and fifteen or so centuries of received ideas about Christianity, that Ozment's book really takes off. Whether it's Cranach urging Luther to tame the iconoclastic elements among the Reformers, whether it's the two men trying to mediate violent turf battles in the small university town of Wittenberg between the knife-wielding workers at Cranach's shop and the surly students at Luther's university (the Leucorea), or whether it's Cranach's sad climactic efforts to intercede with the Emperor on behalf of Friedrich's nephew the Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, seeing how personal interests, theological values, commercial norms and political necessities combine in these pages is a neverending source of wonder. At it's best, one feels as if a curtain has been thrown aside and a secret history of the early German reformation has been presented.
Moreover, the focus of Ozment's career has been social history, and certainly his observations on the marriages of Luther and Cranach are fascinating both for what they have to tell us about the norms of the period and for the ways in which they are anything but representative of wider social norms at the time.
In short, this is no less than a great book, a shatterer of preconceptions, a demonstration of the complexity and nuance of the questions that animated times past, a fluent and lively account of a corner of the world that would eventually shape modernity. And one can almost imagine at some points in "The Serpent and the Lamb" sixteenth century Wittenberg as a television show not unlike HBO's Deadwood, with the Elector ruling at its center like a portly Al Swearingen. If you have lay friends who love renaissance history, you should give them this book. And if you have friends who hate renaissance history because of a bad experience with a dull teacher or duller tome, then you should definitely give them this book, for if anything has the power to change their opinion, it surely does.
In fact, Ozment is one of those historians of the period whose nonfiction is more interesting than the work of most historical novelists, precisely because the fruits of the archives are more surprising, and the actual historical personages more engaging, than a twenty-first century writer's imagination might permit.
Consider for example what Ozment has to say on the subject of Martin Luther's relationship to the Elector Friedrich of Saxony. There is no end to the number of books one can find, both non-fiction and historical fiction, who describe Luther as utterly dependent on Friedrich for protection and patronage, and who consider Luther's conservative response to the Peasant's War as the expression of a cringing submission to his Ernestine Wettin master.
Compare that version of events, supported by numerous layers of assumptions, to what Ozment actually finds in the correspondence of Luther and the Elector through the intermediary of Georg Spalatin: responding to an admonition from his electoral patron that Luther's characterization of medieval rulers' relic collections had become too extreme, Luther answers "I would rather lose you, [my] Sovereign, and the whole world with you than [to hold silence]...It's just not going to happen, Spalatin! It's just not going to happen, Elector!" (Page 140, elipsis added). Not exactly the words of a compliant lapdog.
For me that is just the most interesting application of Ozment's method here, but it's far from the only one that manages to entertain. Essentially, in this double biography of Cranach and Luther, Ozment also ventures into the life and works of renaissance Germany's second most famous artist and tries his hand at some art criticism. He proves himself plenty capable at this, and provides the reader great fun in describing the complexity of Cranach's numerous overlapping enterprises and chaotic life. For in addition to being the great painter entrusted with cathedral altarpieces and dynastic portraiture, Cranach ran a pharmacy, imported wine, operated a printing press, designed elaborate hunts for the Elector and visiting imperial guests, served as an interior decorator, and produced an endless supply of "tasteful" boudoir nudes for the elite of the German towns.
And of course it's at the moments when the commercial and artistic interests of Cranach intersect with Luther's rebellion against, well, everyone else in Europe and fifteen or so centuries of received ideas about Christianity, that Ozment's book really takes off. Whether it's Cranach urging Luther to tame the iconoclastic elements among the Reformers, whether it's the two men trying to mediate violent turf battles in the small university town of Wittenberg between the knife-wielding workers at Cranach's shop and the surly students at Luther's university (the Leucorea), or whether it's Cranach's sad climactic efforts to intercede with the Emperor on behalf of Friedrich's nephew the Elector Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, seeing how personal interests, theological values, commercial norms and political necessities combine in these pages is a neverending source of wonder. At it's best, one feels as if a curtain has been thrown aside and a secret history of the early German reformation has been presented.
Moreover, the focus of Ozment's career has been social history, and certainly his observations on the marriages of Luther and Cranach are fascinating both for what they have to tell us about the norms of the period and for the ways in which they are anything but representative of wider social norms at the time.
In short, this is no less than a great book, a shatterer of preconceptions, a demonstration of the complexity and nuance of the questions that animated times past, a fluent and lively account of a corner of the world that would eventually shape modernity. And one can almost imagine at some points in "The Serpent and the Lamb" sixteenth century Wittenberg as a television show not unlike HBO's Deadwood, with the Elector ruling at its center like a portly Al Swearingen. If you have lay friends who love renaissance history, you should give them this book. And if you have friends who hate renaissance history because of a bad experience with a dull teacher or duller tome, then you should definitely give them this book, for if anything has the power to change their opinion, it surely does.
January 22, 2013
Although Martin Luther shares billing in the title, this book focuses on Lucas Cranach the Elder, Luther's collaborator and close friend. Steven Ozment clearly is an admirer of the "open minded and ecumenical" Cranach and defends him from the accusation of some art historians that Cranach "surrendered" his artistic sensibility and talent to the cause of the Reformation. Without Cranach's hard-hitting visual representation of the ideas of Luther and others, Ozment suggests the movement to reform the church would have been much more difficult and may not have succeeded. Ozment likens the effectiveness of communicating the gospel message in Cranach's altar paintings to Luther's own sermons.
At the same time Ozment does not gloss over the complexity of Cranach the man as well as the artist. How much did Cranach personally espouse the tenets he was putting forth in his art? Ozment raises some questions in this regard as he looks also at Cranach the wealthy and pragmatic businessman. This book does not have everything an art historian or a church historian may have wished to find in it, but as an insightful look at the career of one of the great artists of the era and his close connection to a movement carrying massive social, religious, and cultural changes, it is a portrait worthy of the artist and his times.
At the same time Ozment does not gloss over the complexity of Cranach the man as well as the artist. How much did Cranach personally espouse the tenets he was putting forth in his art? Ozment raises some questions in this regard as he looks also at Cranach the wealthy and pragmatic businessman. This book does not have everything an art historian or a church historian may have wished to find in it, but as an insightful look at the career of one of the great artists of the era and his close connection to a movement carrying massive social, religious, and cultural changes, it is a portrait worthy of the artist and his times.
May 14, 2012
After my trip to Germany, visiting important sites in Lutheran/Wartburg College history, I wanted to learn more about Cranach. This book was great for understanding the man and his times, as well as a critique of his art. I appreciated the integration of Martin Luther and the relationship and perspectives the two had, as well as the effects of Albrecht Dürer on art and Cranach's approach. Cranach was truly a prolific artist many art viewers may not realize they know. I also identified with Cranach as a communicator of others' ideas and I admired his business savvy and political prowess.
September 27, 2012
I was baptized a Lutheran - at 18 was graduated from Lutheran Sunday school - haven't been back as a member for 47 years - but still I find the history of interest and for me, at this time, well worth the study - this book was more on Cranach (all good stuff that I knew absolutely nothing about) and as it was well written (I just finished Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe which led to my interest in The Serpent and the Lamb - that book was a bit of a struggle (too repetitious) this book was more pleasant to read - still need to find a good bio of Luther
May 31, 2015
Worth reading for the examination of history, art, and religion. I appreciated this book, but gave it two stars for its lack of readability, especially for the layman. The author assumes you already have a depth of knowledge not only about the Reformation, but artists and styles from the late Middle Ages onwards. Someone who does not have this level of familiarity is going to miss quite a lot. It also, sad to say, reads like a beefed-up graduate dissertation. I actually fell asleep twice; not a usual occurrence even when I was studying for my own degree in ancient & medieval history.
August 22, 2013
I don't know much about the art of the German Renaissance, and it was interesting learning about the life and career of Lucas Cranach the Elder, who painted portraits of both Martin Luther and Charles V.
To me, the most interesting part of the book was seeing how Luther's ideas about art developed. I found this very interesting, and I appreciated Ozment's understanding of Lutheran thought.
To me, the most interesting part of the book was seeing how Luther's ideas about art developed. I found this very interesting, and I appreciated Ozment's understanding of Lutheran thought.
May 13, 2013
Despite the title and subtitle of the book, there didn't seem to me to be a clear subject when I read the book. The focus was to a large extent on Cranach's work and sometimes the Reformation popped in and popped out again. I think it would have made a stronger long journal article.
November 28, 2014
Good in depth history book on Martian Luther and the artist that supported him during the Reformation. Way more into the art history of things than I normally like but a good well researched book. Recommended.
May 31, 2012
My review may be found here:
http://erb.kingdomnow.org/steven-ozme...
http://erb.kingdomnow.org/steven-ozme...
January 28, 2015
Interesting art history book detailing the art and life of Lucas Cranach the Elder as affected bt and affecting the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther.
April 21, 2015
A top-notch biography ... good research, great illustrations, and worthy writing!! Recommended
Want to read
February 27, 2012Love these kind of interdisciplinary works.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews