La dannazione e la Redenzione / la legge e la grazia. Data/Periodo: 1529. Tempera su calce.

Altezza: 82,2 cm
(32,3 in); larghezza: 118 cm (46,4 in). Autore: Cranach il Vecchio, Lucas. Cranach, Lucas, il sambuco.

Comparaison avec d’autres notices : Hercule à la croisée des chemins - Gerolamo di Benvenuto

1. Inscriptions, signatures. 2. Historique, auteur, fabrication, commanditaires. 3. Variantes, œuvres en

rapport :
3. Le motif du choix entre les deux voies trouvera d’autres traduction : choix entre catholiques et réformés
(voir la gravure de Cranach), choix d’Hercule entre le vice et la vertu.

Analyse de l’image :
    Adam au centre est sollicité à gauche par Moïse, à droite par saint Jean Baptiste. Il est assis au pied d’un
arbre mort à gauche, verdoyant à droite.
    Sur le côté gauche, on voit de gauche à droite le péché originel, le don de stables de la loi à Moïse sur le
Sinaï, la punition de l’adoration du serpent d’airain. Au premier plan, Adam est mis en terre, condamné à la
condition mortelle pour punition du péché originel.
    Sur le côté droit, Jean-Baptiste montre les mystères du Christ : sa mort sur la croix, sa résurrection, la
Vierge supervisant le tout depuis sa montagne. Que signifie le cheval blanc portant la bannière du Saint-
Esprit ?
   

Lucas Cranach il Vecchio, la legge e la grazia,

la dannazione e salvezza, pittura, 1529
Description:
For Luther the sins of man are inextricably linked to the human condition and the believer therefore
requires Moses' commandments to be aware of his sinfulness. He must realize that an attempt to
fulfill the commandments set down by the censorious Old Testament God is condemned to failure
and will dispair over this. This despair is as it were the prerequisite for salvation through Christ and
the Gospel. In accordance with the distinction between the Law and the Gospel as highlighted by
Luther the painting in Gotha exhibits a dichotomic composition. The image is divided at the centre
into two halves by a tree, which is dried out on the left and bears green foliage on the right. The
forlorn, sinful man is chased by Death and the Devil into the blazing flames of hell on the left. He
looks to the right where Moses, standing among a group of Old Testament prophets, points at the
tablets bearing the Ten Commandment. By depicting Original Sin and the Last Judgement in an
expansive landscape both the source of and the punishment for mankind's transgression are
indicated. Also represented is the scene where the brazen serpent is lifted up ¿ an episode from the
Old Testament which played a significant role for Luther and typologically prefigures the
crucifixion -, illustrating how the Israelites were saved from the poisonous snake bites by following
God's instructions. To the right of the tree trunk St John the Baptist is shown with the naked man
from the left side. John as the last prophet before Christ represents Luther between the Law and the
Gospel, which is why he is assigned the role of mediator here. The naked man stands calmly with
his hands folded, while St John draws his attention to the crucifixion at the right edge of the
painting. Blood spurts out of the wound in Christ's side and lands on the naked man's chest. The
Holy Ghost represented as a dove appears in the blood. It is manifested here that only Christ, who
died in place of mankind and whose good news is transmitted by the Holy Spirit, can revoke the
damnation levied by the Law. Only through his faith, sola fide, can mankind be blessed with the
divine forgiveness represented by the blood. Through the Resurrection of Christ, who ascends into
the sky above the tombstone behind the cross, the Devil and Death, who had pursued the sinner on
the left side are banished: both lie vanquished in front of the cross beneath the Lamb of God. Like
the Risen Christ it also holds a victory banner. Here however the sinner from the side illustrating the
Law is righteous, whereby the panel in Gotha elucidates the issue of simul iustus et peccator. In the
background on the right side the annunciation to the shepherds is represented outside the gates of
Bethlehem. Like the raising of the brazen serpent, which is shown next to it on the other side of the
tree, this scene depicts mankind's recognition of God's word. For the viewer it is apparent that both
the Law and the Gospel proclaim the same good news, which always leads to Christ. Quotations
from the Old and New testaments on the lower part of the panel emphasize this statement, while at
the same time serving as a biblical legitimization of the image. [Görres, in Bonnet, Kopp-Schmitt,
Görres 2010, 170