I learn that the presumably mask was created after a plaster
cast that had been made by the local painter Luke Furtenagel on Luther’s
deathbed in Eisleben on February 19, 1546. I realize that we are still learning about
Luther during Europe’s reformation but I find these mask of Luther quite creepy
but fascinating. So I decide to web search and this is what I learned. Luther
was not originally at Halle church Marktkirche, instead his body was to be
taken to Wittenberg for the planned burial. A Protestant minister Justus Jonas,
who was a close friend of Martin Luther and preacher at Halle where the church’s
parish came into the possession of Luther’s death mask.
The
death mask in the middle there is actually the revised version that has been on
display in Halle, you could how this one with several modifications to the
original masks had been more realistic, such as the opening of its eyelids
which I might add is scary! I think eyes for a dead person should always remain
closed. But that’s just me. Anyways than on the far right is the “reconstructed”
Lukas Furtenagel death mask without the alterations. I also found it
interesting how the 'death mask' as prettified for public view did not look
much like Luther at all, while the version restored to more or less its
original condition is much closer to Cranach's sketch. What do you guys think?
Source:
This is a really intriguing post. I agree, the mask on the far right appears to be just like sketch. I wonder if this death mask was one of the first or if they were regularly made.
ReplyDeleteThis mask is really cool! It gives us a chance to actually see what Martin Luther looked like!
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