Collections of Cronach

It was bratwurst and langos and coffee and the museum trail after the dignified baroque harpsichord. Such incongruities are travel made of. First up was an attempt to visit the Goethe museum but we were repelled with a demand that it takes several hours that we didn't have. I thought we could have learned the same on Wikipedia so i was happy to find a brochure for a display of Cronach at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library (Cranachs bilderfluten). The library is a collection dating from 1761 but sadly significantly damaged by fire as recently as 2004. Much was lost and a considerable amount was recovered; a significant Luther bible is highlighted as saved. We saw the Rococo room although could only visit the 1st floor and were limited from free movement and then checked on exit by an imaging machine, presumably for book heists. Fair enough, I guess. But the key exhibit was in the Renaissance room below with a series of major works by Cranach, who worked in Weimar for his later years, and that Luther bible. I love this era and the Cranach works were stunning and close up but the key find, to my mind, was several paintings of Luther including one with his wife. These are the images we all see for Luther, so key documents. Just a huge pleasure.

The Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, holds a collection of works by Lucas Cronach the elder and a Luther Bible.