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CRANACH, Lucas the Elder: Portrait of Charles V

🖼 Portrait of Charles V, 1533
Oil on panel
51 × 36 cm
Madrid, Spain

Rendered in Cranach's precise technique, Charles V emerges in profile against a dark ground, his jeweled chains and fur collar signaling imperial authority. This portrait established the visual standard for Holy Roman Emperor imagery across Northern Europe during the Renaissance.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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