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Primary sourcePainting1523

Woodcut Portrait of Luther in Sermon Pamphlet

1523

A woodcut portrait of Martin Luther printed in a 1523 Augsburg pamphlet containing five of his sermons.

This woodcut portrait of Luther appeared in a 1523 pamphlet of his own sermons, printed during his lifetime.

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Scan of a printed page with a black-and-white woodcut portrait of a man with short curly hair in a monastic-style robe with a high collar, holding a book with a decorated cover. Architectural columns frame him, and the date 1520 is printed at upper right.
Woodcut portrait of Martin Luther, in Fünf schöne christliche Sermone, Augsburg: Philipp Ulhart, 1523. Deutsche Fotothek, Germany.

About this source

What it is

This woodcut shows Martin Luther and was printed in a pamphlet of his sermons, titled 'Fünf schöne christliche Sermone,' published in Augsburg by Philipp Ulhart in 1523. It is held by the Deutsche Fotothek in Germany.

Why it matters

Pamphlets like this helped spread Luther's sermons and his image quickly across German-speaking lands, using the new technology of printing to reach ordinary readers. The portrait reinforced Luther's authority as a preacher and writer at the heart of the Reformation.

Look closer

  • Why do you think printers included a portrait of Luther alongside his sermons?
  • What clues in the image (clothing, pose, objects) tell you about how Luther wanted to be seen?
  • How might this image have shaped readers' trust in the text?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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