Artwork
The Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre of the Innocents is an unspecified painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
Lucas Cranach the Elder’s 1515 oil painting, titled The Massacre of the Innocents, presents a turbulent biblical episode in a densely populated setting. The work is part of the collection at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, where it remains a notable example of early 16th‑century German religious art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition illustrates the biblical narrative of King Herod’s order to kill newborn children in Bethlehem. Central to the scene is a woman in a vivid red garment shielding an infant, while surrounding figures display a range of reactions, from frantic flight to violent assault, conveying the horror and chaos of the event.
Technique & Style
Cranach employs a rich palette of earth tones punctuated by striking reds and blues, rendering fabrics and architectural details with meticulous texture. The use of chiaroscuro intensifies spatial depth, guiding the eye toward the central protective figure and enhancing the dramatic tension inherent in the tableau.
History & Provenance
Executed in 1515, the painting reflects Cranach’s mature period, during which he frequently addressed biblical themes for both private devotion and public display. It entered the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister’s holdings in the 19th century, where it has been conserved as part of the museum’s core collection of Northern Renaissance works.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
- Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem
Calvary
Marter der Zehntausend Christen
Crucifixion
Martyrdom of St. Erasmus
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins
Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand (copy after the original from 1508 in Vienna)
Feast of St Martin
Christ carrying the Cross
Jakobus-Stephanus-Altar: Geißelung Christi
Ecce Homo
Christ Carrying the Cross