The artwork entitled “Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon” was painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1543. This Northern Renaissance work, executed in oil on panel, measures 21 by 16 centimeters and is currently housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The genre of this piece is portraiture, typical of the period and Cranach’s oeuvre.
The artwork depicts Philipp Melanchthon, a prominent figure of the time, clad in dark, somber attire set against a plain blue backdrop. His gaze is directed slightly to the side, lending an air of contemplation and intellect. Cranach’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the delicate rendering of Melanchthon’s facial features and hair, as well as in the folds and texture of his garments. The composition is both reserved and poised, characteristic of the artist’s style and reflective of the subject’s scholarly demeanor.