Artwork
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery
Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Younger. It dates from 1532 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1532 by Lucas Cranach the Younger, this copper painting illustrates the New Testament episode in which Jesus confronts the accusers of a woman caught in adultery. Executed during the Northern Renaissance, the work now belongs to the State Hermitage Museum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the moment when Christ addresses the crowd, urging mercy for the woman. The central figure, a bearded man in a green tunic and red robe, gestures emphatically, while the accused woman, dressed in white with a red skirt, lowers her head in quiet resignation. The surrounding elders, some armored, convey the tension between law and compassion.
Technique & Style
Painted on a copper plate, the work benefits from the metal’s smooth surface, allowing fine detail and luminous color. Cranach the Younger employs a restrained palette of deep reds, greens, and muted earth tones, contrasting the dark background with sharply defined figures. The rendering of facial expressions and fabric folds reflects the precise, linear style typical of the German Renaissance.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered a private collection before being acquired by the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces a typical path for Northern Renaissance works, moving from German courts to Russian imperial holdings in the 18th‑19th centuries.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Younger (German: Lucas Cranach der Jüngere, IPA: ; 4 October 1515 – 25 January 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach.
