167:’s invention allowed the mass production of texts, giving Luther and his contemporaries the opportunity for widespread theology. Woodcuts were printed on covers of texts to increase interest of potential readers. However, sixteenth-century German society was predominantly illiterate. The learned areas were in the centre of towns and cities, but these numbers remained few. Print culture required a particular social group with the ability to absorb the information at hand. For reforms to be effective then, the reformers would need to target the entire population and not simply the educated elites. Paintings and woodcuts, such as
219:). This was a form of radical reformation. Luther and Karlstadt had very different approaches on matters concerning the implementation of reforms, teachings and artwork in general. "Every community, whether small or large, should see for itself that it acts correctly and well and waits for no one." This depicts the mood of Germany at the time of reform and the desire for quick change, which frequently resulted in violent actions to see an outcome. As a result of Karlstadt's promotion of the defacing of religious artwork and advocation of speedy changes, he and Luther had a falling out after years of companionship.
211:, were exiled from Nuremberg on account of their radical views on religious and political concerns. When questioned on their views of Christ, Barthel replied in a manner suggesting that he did not believe in him. From this incident these three artists were given the name "the Godless painters" and were shunned by different groups of society. These radical views began because the pace of the reforms was seen as moving too slow. Large groups of people wanted changes implemented immediately, but when this did not happen radical efforts were made. In Wittenberg, the reformer
171:, provided visual interpretations of papal corruption which required no literacy whatsoever. Interpretations could be made by the people themselves, facilitated by popular knowledge and word of mouth. Often woodcuts were accompanied by text; nevertheless, this was only used to assist the depiction and message thereof, not to stand independent from it. The printed text was usually simple requiring only basic reading skills. Even without this text the illustrations were to the point and understandable without a broad based knowledge of politics or further explanation.
129:, John 10:1-42. This passage articulates Christ as the shepherd, his followers as the flock, and all others as thieves. "All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved". Barthel used characters in this scene that clearly show the Papacy as the "thieves"; they are climbing the sheep shed and entering through windows in the approach of a thief. At the top of the shed is the
133:, symbolizing his authority and domination over the rest of the church hierarchy. The shed is deliberately shaped by Beham to look like a church, with its steeple and cathedral-like windows, to avoid any confusion of what the scene attempts to depict. Christ is in the front doorway of the shed, as he is the ‘gate’ to be entered through. Also seen are peasants grovelling to the nobility, which demonstrates Barthel's sympathy towards the
256:
brothers and Georg Pencz created woodcuts that were widely distributed. That these artists were questioned at their trial about their feelings about Christ shows the fear that authorities had about their influence on society, as does their ejection from
Nuremberg after the trial. In 1527, after returning to Nuremberg following his expulsion, Barthel left permanently to become a court painter to the Catholic dukes in
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on copper to produce thousands of copies without wearing out the plate. The cost of woodcuts depended on the cost of the paper, which by the sixteenth century was high, as printing increased. Religious art that depicted the Papacy as anything but pious often provoked physical acts against the clergy
222:
Not only did radicalism stem from the desire for a speedier reformation, but also from dissatisfaction of it altogether. As his expulsion from
Nuremberg illustrates, Barthel was not happy with the reforms that Luther or his equals were enforcing; as a result he denied Christ as legitimate; thus the
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further depicts his feelings on the oppression of the peasantry. In it, the dominant classes are violently attacking the peasants with swords, while the women try to intercept. The perpetual use of the peasantry in religious, social and political matters shows the interconnection of the three. The
63:
and, though they were less severe in
Nuremberg than in other parts of Germany, the social implications were greatly felt. Though there is little information on this particular woodcut, it represents much of the political and social aspects of the Reformation, and interpretation provides insight on
145:
scene is created; what is strange is that it is less visible than the shed and the church hierarchy, showing the insignificance of the actions of Christ himself, and an emphasis on the use of indulgences in the
Catholic Church. The scene created by Barthel depicts the mood of Germany in 1524 as a
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marking up prices in the sale of these indulgences. In this, the artist was arguing for the return of order and morality to the
Catholic Church. Though it is a religious piece, it includes social issues, and reveals the influence that artists had over popular opinion. Artists such as the Beham
113:
could save them. Among many reactions to this, a consequence was the criticism of religion and an increased amount of artwork for the propagation of the denial of the
Catholic Church. "Christ and the Sheep Shed" was created in 1524, several years after Luther's posting, and demonstrates the
72:
depicts the radical sentiment of the period in which it was created, and portrays the wide-ranging effects of the
Reformation and religion on all aspects of German culture. The image is unrealistic as an authentic situation. However, it was used as a symbolic interpretation of the
242:. Many feared an overthrow of the existing social order; Barthel's pieces of art facilitated this as he often reflected the oppression of the peasantry and the advocation of uprising against the elite. More people became concerned with politics and therefore the interest in
246:
grew. Consequently, so did the proportion of learned people and literacy. Many of the criticisms made in these pamphlets, accompanied by woodcuts, were against Church hierarchy and predominantly towards the Pope. He was portrayed as a demon, the
146:
conflicted place between
Protestantism and Catholicism, as well as the observations of the artist himself. His depiction of the Papacy as thieves is impractical, yet its reasoning is to exaggerate the situation to make the idea more influential.
183:, peasants started taking a more militant attitude. Johann Herlot wrote a report on the instances: "...the peasants roused themselves... arrived so unexpectedly that the count and his subordinates could not return to the castle..."
251:, a thief, and a hoarding rich-man. However, many others were targeted in a negative religious aspect as well. Such people were economic figures. Attacking the sale of indulgences and monopolies on the church, an artist depicted a
154:
Prior to the reformation, woodcuts were used as devotional images in monastic centres. Artists would be hired to create a woodcut that would illustrate text in chronicles. They found a new purpose when they were used to support
207:, he wrote, "...we must go beyond our duty, and offer the mad peasants an opportunity to come to terms...if that does not help, then swiftly grasp the sword". That year Barthel, along with his brother Sebald and painter,
122:. He was born in Nuremberg in 1502 and it is suggested that he studied in the workshop of Dürer, which had significant influences on his artwork and decisions made in his career.
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in the reformation. The communication and spread of ideas was central to this time period. Arguably, the reformation would not have been as influential without the use of the
263:
Reformation art helped promote print publishing; many people opened print shops and publishing industries because there was an increased demand for pamphlets and propaganda.
195:
of the
Reformation are hard to define because they were so large in numbers and occupied a variety of beliefs. Barthel Beham was radical in his beliefs on the Bible and the
199:, like numerous other reformers, and he portrayed this through many pieces of artwork. He sympathized with the peasants, especially during the
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The
Reformation quickly spread its impact from being purely religious into political and social concerns. Beham's woodcut
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137:. In the bottom-right corner of the woodcut people are gathered to buy indulgences, portraying the anxiety about
47:, this woodcut illustrates the beliefs of the artist, as well as other reformers, about the manipulation of the
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the artist's perspective of the era. The distribution of woodcuts was one of the most effective modes of
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political and moral upheaval that Germany faced as a result of the reformation is seen in the
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long-lasting effect this act had. Barthel's inspiration comes from his elder brother,
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Infinite Boundaries: Order, Disorder and Reorder in Early Modern German Culture
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http://individual.utoronto.ca/mmilner/history2p91/primary/rupp6213.htm
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argued that the sins of man could never be revealed but that Christ’s
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http://individual.utoronto.ca/mmilner/history2p91/primary/gei432.gif
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Peasants, Warriors and Wives: Popular Imagery in the Reformation
203:. When Luther attacked the peasantry in an article in May 1525,
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A Social History of the Media: From Gutenburd to the Internet
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Popular Culture and Popular Movements in Reformation Germany
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Cultures of Communication from Reformation to Enlightenment
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The premise of this woodcut is based on a passage from the
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Against the Robbing and Murderous Hordes of Peasants
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Against the Robbing and Murderous Hordes of Peasants
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Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants
59:. This woodcut was created during the height of the
735:. Kirksville: Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers.
51:. His work was influenced by reformers, such as
726:. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
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391:Dixon C. Scott, "The Engraven Reformation",
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179:and nobility. On Easter day 1525, in Upper
394:"© Case-study 2: The Engraven Reformation"
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293:John 10: 1–42 The Shepherd and his Flock.
699:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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382:John 10: 8-9 The Shepherd and his Flock.
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223:given name, "the godless painters".
97:attacking several practices of the
68:during the Protestant Reformation.
43:. Created in the early part of the
688:Art and the Reformation in Germany
85:In 1517, Martin Luther posted his
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717:. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing.
697:The Reformation and Rural Society
227:Social and political implications
713:Melton, James Van Horn (2002).
708:. Boston: Blackwell Publishing.
174:Woodcuts were used rather than
744:. London: The Hambledon Press.
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740:Scribner, R. W. (1987).
686:Christensen, Carl C. (1979).
118:, and the well-known artist,
150:Propaganda and distribution
101:; in particular the use of
16:Polemical woodcut from 1524
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681:. Cambridge: Polity Press.
780:Prints based on the Bible
706:The European Reformations
704:Lindberg, Carter (2007).
521:The Massacre of Weinsberg
472:Briggs & Burke (2002)
318:Christ and the Sheep Shed
288:The Massacre of Weinsberg
274:Christ and the Sheep Shed
169:Christ and the Sheep Shed
70:Christ and the Sheep Shed
21:Christ and the Sheep Shed
695:Dixon, C. Scott (1996).
785:Reformation in Germany
731:Reinhart, Max (1998).
296:Martin Luther (1525).
286:Johann Herlot (1525).
272:Barthel Beham (1524).
141:. In the background a
45:Protestant Reformation
722:Moxey, Keith (1989).
240:German Peasants' War
201:German Peasants' War
31:made in 1524 by the
765:16th-century prints
89:to the wall of the
790:Renaissance prints
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39:, one of the
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775:Popes in art
770:Jesus in art
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249:anti-Christ
209:Georg Pencz
143:crucifixion
103:indulgences
760:1524 works
754:Categories
663:References
404:2008-03-24
217:iconoclasm
197:sacraments
187:Radicalism
176:engravings
95:Wittenberg
66:propaganda
244:pamphlets
213:Karlstadt
165:Gutenberg
139:salvation
135:peasantry
33:Nuremberg
26:polemical
795:Woodcuts
677:(2002).
253:merchant
193:radicals
157:humanism
107:theology
35:artist
29:woodcut
258:Munich
181:Swabia
105:. His
57:Sebald
305:Notes
127:Bible
111:grace
24:is a
191:The
131:Pope
93:in
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