What is Lucas Cranach the Elder?
[[File:Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 063.jpg|thumb|Painting of Lucas Cranach the Elder by [[Lucas Cranach the Younger]] (1550), [[Florence]]]] '''Lucas Cranach the Elder''' ({{lang-de|Lucas Cranach der Ältere}} {{IPA-de|ˈluːkas ˈkʁaːnax deːɐ̯ ˈʔɛltəʁə|}}; {{c.|1472}}&nbsp;– 16 October 1553) was a [[Germany|German]] [[Artist|painter]] and [[printmaker]] in woodcut and [[engraving]]. He was born '''Lucas Sunder''' at [[Kronach]] in upper [[Franconia]]. == Career == Early on, Lucas Cranach tried jobs that had something to do with painting. He decorated houses, but mostly made portraits and [[altar]]-pieces. He also helped design [[Coin|coins]] and other things. His first paintings were [[still life]]<nowiki/>s and animals on the walls of the palaces at [[Coburg]] and Locha. They were so good that the duke asked Lucas Cranach to make a painting of him. Lucas Cranach painted the duke killing a [[Wild boar|boar]]. Before 1508 he had painted a few altar-pieces for the Castle Church at [[Wittenberg]]. [[Albrecht Dürer]], [[Hans Burgkmair]] and others also worked there. He made many portraits of the duke and his brother John. The best [[Woodcut|woodcuts]] and [[Engraving|copper-plates]] were published. More honour was given to Cranach when he went to the [[Netherlands]] in 1509, and painted the [[Emperor Maximilian I]] and the boy who became [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] later in his life. Until 1508 Cranach signed his works with the initials of his name. In that year the person in charge gave him the [[snake]] with wings as a symbol. This symbol was marked on all his pictures after that date. [[File:Martin_Luther,_1529.jpg|thumb|Martin Luther (1529, Uffizi)]] == Death == He died on 16 October 1553 at [[Weimar]] in Germany. The house in which he lived still stands in the marketplace. He is commemorated as an artist by the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]] on 6 April. == Cranach's Art == Cranach's art in its prime was slightly affected by the art of the [[Italy|Italians]], but was also similar to that of the [[Net