'', 1529The first evidence of Cranach's skill as an artist comes in a picture dated 1504. Early in his career he was active in several branches of his profession: sometimes a decorative painter, more frequently producing portraits and
altarpieces, woodcuts, engravings, and designing the
coins for the electorate. to the electors of Saxony in Wittenberg, an area in the heart of the emerging
Protestant faith. His patrons were powerful supporters of
Martin Luther, and Cranach used his art as a symbol of the new faith. Cranach made numerous portraits of Luther, and provided woodcut illustrations for Luther's German translation of the
Bible. Somewhat later the duke conferred on him the
monopoly of the sale of medicines at Wittenberg, and a printer's patent with exclusive privileges as to
copyright in
Bibles. Cranach's presses were used by Martin Luther. His apothecary shop was open for centuries, and was only lost by fire in 1871. Cranach, like his patron, was friendly with the
Protestant Reformers at a very early stage; yet it is difficult to fix the time of his first meeting with Martin Luther. The oldest reference to Cranach in Luther's correspondence dates from 1520. In a letter written from
Worms in 1521, Luther calls him his "gossip", warmly alluding to his "Gevatterin", the artist's wife. Cranach first made an engraving of Luther in 1520, when Luther was an Augustinian
friar; five years later, Luther renounced his religious vows, and Cranach was present as a witness at the betrothal festival of Luther and
Katharina von Bora. He was also godfather to their first child, Johannes "Hans" Luther, born 1526. In 1530 Luther lived at the citadel of
Veste Coburg under the protection of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and his room is preserved there along with a painting of him. The Dukes became noted collectors of Cranach's work, some of which remains in the family collection at
Callenberg Castle.The death in 1525 of the Elector
Frederick the Wise and Elector
John's in 1532 brought no change in Cranach's position; he remained a favourite with
John Frederick I, under whom he twice (1531 and 1540) filled the office of burgomaster of
Wittenberg. In 1547, John Frederick was taken prisoner at the
Battle of Mühlberg, and Wittenberg was besieged. As Cranach wrote from his house to the grand-master
Albert, Duke of Prussia at
Königsberg to tell him of John Frederick's capture, he showed his attachment by saying, I cannot conceal from your Grace that we have been robbed of our dear prince, who from his youth upwards has been a true prince to us, but God will help him out of prison, for the Kaiser is bold enough to revive the Papacy, which God will certainly not allow. During the siege Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, remembered Cranach from his childhood and summoned him to his camp at Pistritz. Cranach came, and begged on his knees for kind treatment for Elector John Frederick. Three years afterward, when all the dignitaries of the Empire met at
Augsburg to receive commands from the emperor, and
Titian came at Charles's bidding to paint King
Philip II of Spain, John Frederick asked Cranach to visit the city; and here for a few months he stayed in the household of the captive elector, whom he afterward accompanied home in 1552. ==Death and veneration==