Wittenberg Altarpiece

The triptych altarpiece was installed at the high altar of the Wittenberg City Parish Church of St. Mary's in 1547, one year after Luther's death, and it is believed to be consecrated by Johannes Bugenhagen, who was the pastor at St. Mary's church in Wittenberg and a good friend of Martin Luther.[2] Lucas Cranach the Elder designed the altar and painted most of the front panel, while his son Lucas Cranach the Younger painted the panels on the back and finished his father's job on the front. The altarpiece was restored in 2016.[3]

Martin Luther preaching with crucified Christ depicted on the predella embodies Luther's theology of Solus Christus

The Wittenberg altarpiece is a visualization of the Protestant Reformation which serves as portrayal of Lutheran sacramental theology. In the middle part of the panel and the inner two wings, the paintings depict the three sacraments recognized by Luther, namely the Baptism, Eucharist and Absolution, in reference to Lutheran sacraments. The frontal middle panel depicts Jesus Christ instituting the Lord's Supper with Martin Luther portrayed as one of the apostles, and sitting next to Luther on the left is the printer Hans Lufft, who published the Luther Bible. In the left inner wing, Philipp Melanchthon baptizes a baby, in accordance with the Lutheran affirmation of infant baptism, assisted by two godparents, with the godfather depicted on the left is Lucas Cranach the Elder.[4] The inner right panel depicts the pastor of the church, Johannes Bugenhagen absolving one man's sins, referred to as the Office of the Keys and excluding a man who is impenitent. On the predella, Martin Luther is shown delivering a sermon and preaching the Word of God, a central tenet of Reformation, with crucified Christ depicted in the middle, in reference to Christocentric nature of the new faith, with Luther's wife Katharina von Bora among the congregants. On the back panel, the risen Christ in glory is depicted in the middle, with side panels depicting the Old Testament narratives of Abraham's sacrifice and Moses with the Brazen Serpent.[5]

• 
  Interior of St. Mary's Church in Wittenberg
• 
  Detail of Philipp Melanchthon baptizing an infant
• 
  The back panel depicts the resurrected Christ defeating death
• 
  Detail of the Last Supper scene
• 
  Wittenberg altarpiece in full view with the chancel and choir of St. Mary's Church
• 
  Johannes Bugenhagen as the pastor of St. Mary's Church

• Schneeberg Altarpiece
• Weimar Altarpiece

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reformationsaltar, Stadt- und Pfarrkirche St. Marien zu Wittenberg.

• Official website - of St. Mary's Church in Wittenberg (In German)
• Reformation Altar