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Why did Lucas Cranach create attacks on the papacy?
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caricature and cartoon
Cartoon depicting U.S. Pres. Chester A. Arthur suffering from his dealings with factions within the Republican Party, 1882.
Lucas Cranach the Elder created works attacking the papacy because he served as the chief pictorial propagandist for the Protestant cause in Germany. Following the start of the Reformation in 1517, Cranach developed a close friendship with Martin Luther, a professor at the University of Wittenberg.1
Cranach utilized his skills as an artist to support the Protestant movement by producing numerous paintings, engravings, and woodcuts that promoted the Reformers and their ideology. By multiplying these images, he helped shape the public image of Luther and his circle, effectively using his art as a tool for religious and political advocacy during a period of significant upheaval.1