Law and Gospel in Paint - Part 4

Lucas Cranach the Elder, Law and Gospel (1529), National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic

This post is a part of a series:

LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 1 (Gotha Panel)
LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 2 (Gotha Panel)
LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 3 (Prague Panel)
LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 4 (Prague Panel)
LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 5 (The Dying Man)
LAW AND GOSPEL IN PAINT - PART 6 (Continuation of the Theme)

Presentation on Cranach's Law and Gospel Painting (Theological Symposium, Concordia Seminary St. Louis, 2022)

Lucas Cranach the Elder, Law and Gospel (1529), Gotha

The Law and Gospel in Paint Series now comes to discussion about the so-called Prague panel depicted above. In comparison to the Gotha panel mentioned in earlier posts (right), the relationship between Law and Gospel is nuanced differently. The distinction between the two sides is more pronounced in the Gotha panel. In the Prague painting, one man occupies both sides of Law and Gospel at the same time. This panel painting gives more emphasis on this dual relationship at work. The man, sometimes referred to as "Everyman," is a sort of stand-in figure with whom the viewer is called to identify.

Top to Bottom

One of the interesting facets of this painting is that it can be viewed not only left to right but also generally from top to bottom. 

Moses and Mary

This is an interesting comparison between Moses and Mary. In the upper left hand corner, Moses receives the tablets of the decalogue with trembling hands from the hands of God in the dark and ominous clouds on Mt. Sinai. On the Gospel side, however, Mary receives the Christ child from the glorious and golden heavens in faith with folded hands. In a woodcut by Geoffrey Tory, Moses' mountain is labeled Mt. Sinai and Mary's mountain is labeled as Mt. Zion. Mary is the figure of the church who receives Christ in faith. Cranach is displaying that the reception of the Law and the reception of grace of the Christ child evoke different postures. The Law calls one to do, the Gospel is only received.

Sinners and the Innocent Lamb

As mentioned in the previous post, Adam and Even had the inscription of "Sinners" below them as they listen to the serpent and take the fateful bites. On the Gospel side, the Lamb is labeled as "Our Innocence." The viewer is called to identify with Christ not only as the innocence for Adam and Eve but for us. In the words of the pointing John the Baptist, "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

The Bronze Serpent and Christ on the Cross

The Bronze Serpent is labeled as "Figure of Justification" whereas Christ on the Cross is labeled as "Our Justification." Just as Jesus in John 3 likens himself to the bronze serpent that was lifted up, here Cranach has depicted it in such a way that Christ is not just a figure of justification. Here is Our justification dying for the sins of the world.

The Dead Man and Christ Resurrected

In comparison to the Gotha panel where the man is being chased, here a man is dead and in the tomb. In comparison, Christ resurrected stands victorious over death and the devil. Behind him stand the empty sarcophagus and tomb. He is "our victory."

The Prophet and John the Baptist

Here, a prophet and John the Baptist both take the role of pointing to Christ on the cross and Christ as the innocent Lamb. Thus, Cranach is showing that both the Law and the Gospel point to Christ. Like the bronze serpent, Cranach has depicted this scene of the Old Testament prophet as another layer of meaning in the painting that could take on a mediating role. Though the Law, in the theological sense, is not simply to be equated with the Old Testament, here Cranach has an image that could easily be an Old Testament prophet pointing to Christ through prophecy. Law and Gospel and Old and New Testaments are presented here. Though it is important to note that the Old Testament is not only Law. It contains both Law and Gospel. Just as the New Testament contains both Law and Gospel. That is, there are layers of meaning and possibility within this painting, even though the central point of it is clear: Christ Jesus is the Savior.

The Man in the Middle

Lastly, but most centrally, there is the man in the middle. As Luther says in his great Galatians Commentary (1531/35), “let every Christian learn diligently to distinguish between the law and the gospel. Let him permit the law to rule his body and its members but not his conscience” (Luther's Works, 26:120).  Cranach's image displays just such a scene for this man. He lives in both realities. He mortifies the flesh under the Law while holding on to the Gospel for life and salvation.

Law and Gospel or Two Kinds of Righteousness

Similar to my own observations, Jerome Cottin has concluded that this painting in comparison to the Gotha Panel represents a multitude of different ways that Law and Gospel can be visualized. That is, the distinction is beyond a single representation. It is not in competition with the other versions. Perhaps a good way to frame the difference is between Law and Gospel, on the one hand, and the Two Kinds of Righteousness, on the other (Now rightly conceived in an expansive way, Law and Gospel does include the Two Kinds of Righteousness).  The Two Kinds of Righteousness, according to Robert Kolb and Charles Arand, takes its emphasis from the anthropological perspective. Whereas Law and Gospel are concerned with God's Word has to say, Two Kinds of Righteousness pertains to the life of humans under two realities before the world and before God. They are called to die daily to sin and serve the neighbor. However, this kind of righteousness does not lead to salvation. The eternal righteousness before God is pure gift in the forgiveness of sins given in Christ. The emphasis here in this painting is on the dual reality of life. Cranach has depicted it here showing that this man lives in both realities at the same time (cf. Christoph Weimer). So it is my conclusion that perhaps, Two Kinds of Righteousness is the better way to conceive of this Prague painting, whereas the Gotha version is more concerned with Law and Gospel.

"Our"

Cranach has deliberately added "our" to each of the scenes on the Gospel side. For one, it is not simply "my." Hyper individualism is not present in this first person plural, "our." Implicitly, we are called not to forget that the life that Christ gives is personal and communal. One of the criticisms of this painting theme is that it is most concerned with conveying information while the art is inconsequential. However, that does not necessarily appear to be the intent. This painting does call for personal involvement with the referent of the painting. In this sense it is devotional (cf. Bonnie Noble on this). Even here, it is still visualized. This painting is made to help people to visualize who Christ is and what He has done for them. So Christ is our justification, our innocence, and our victory.

Sources Mentioned:

Cottin, Jerome. “Loi et Évangile chez Luther et Cranach.” Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses 76, no. 3 (1996): 293-314.

Kolb, Robert and Charles Arand. The Genius of Luther’s Theology: A Wittenberg Way of Thinking for the Contemporary Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.

Noble, Bonnie. Lucas Cranach the Elder: Art and Devotion of the German Reformation. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2009.

Rosebrock, Matthew. “Luther’s Visual Theology: The Lectures on Galatians and Cranach’s Law and Gospel Paintings.” Concordia Journal 42, no. 4 (2016): 332-39.

Weimer, Christoph. “Luther and Cranach on Justification in Word and Image.” Lutheran Quarterly 18 (2004): 387-405.