This is The Law and Gospel which was painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1529. A close associate of Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach the Elder is believed to have been born in 1472. Although influenced by Renaissance art Lucas Cranach the Elder is chiefly remembered for his role as a principle artist in the Protestant Reformation and is remembered for his numerous mythological and religious paintings such as Cupid Complaining to Venus and The Law and Gospel and for his work as a portrait artist as he painted numerous members of the royalty of Saxony and even painted a famous portrait of Martin Luther himself. Lucas Cranach the Elder proved to be a highly influential figure in the Protestant Reformation and associated with and influenced many powerful people he met through his art and the various governmental positions he held.
Lucas Cranach the Elder painted The Law and Gospel in collaboration with Martin Luther and as such there are many religious and spiritual themes and messages that are trying to be conveyed by this image. The primary lesson that is trying to be communicated by this image is that it is only through belief and God's grace and mercy can people ascend to heaven. This is a refutation of the prevailing Catholic belief that people can improve their chances of going to heaven by performing "good works" like donating money to the Church, commissioning art or any other action that the Catholic Church deems worthy. There is a fundamental difference in belief between the relationship of belief itself and actions that is being illustrated by the man going to heaven on the right with Jesus on the cross beside him and the man on the left who is shown next to the law alone. This shows Martin Luther's belief that only through faith coupled with law is heaven accessible and not just adherence to law even if it is divinely inspired. The Law and Gospel is significant for all the complex messages that it conveys about faith and religion and it embodies the essential theological differences in belief that Martin Luther's reformation was built on.
Sources
André Marie, Faith and Good Works, Catholicism.Org. 2009, http://catholicism.org/faith-and-good-works.html
Cranach, Law and Gospel(Law and Grace), Khan Academy.https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/renaissance-and-reformation/protestant-reformation/a/cranach-law-and-gospel-law-and-grace
Lucas Cranach the Elder, Cranach Digital Archive. 2016, http://lucascranach.org/lucas-cranach
Lucas Cranach the Elder, The National Gallery. 2016, http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/lucas-cranach-the-elder
