Painter of the Bible

Georg Pencz

Years1500-1550FromGermanWorks26

Georg Pencz was a German engraver and painter of the second quarter of the sixteenth century and one of the principal members of the Nuremberg Little Masters — Albrecht Dürer's heirs in Nuremberg who specialized in tiny,…

Portrait of Georg Pencz

Their faith

Why Georg Pencz painted Christ

Georg Pencz was a devout Lutheran artist whose faith profoundly influenced his work throughout his life. Born around 1500 in Nuremberg, he trained under the renowned Albrecht Dürer, whose own deep Christian convictions shaped the artistic landscape of the time. Pencz's commitment to his faith was tested in 1525 when he and his contemporaries were tried for their radical Anabaptist beliefs, leading to a brief banishment. However, upon reconciling with the Lutheran council, he dedicated himself to creating art that reflected the theological tenets of the Reformation. His work often served as a medium for spiritual reflection, providing believers with visual access to scriptural narratives and doctrines.

Pencz's artistic contributions are particularly notable in his engravings and woodcuts, which became a vital part of the devotional practices within the Lutheran tradition. His series on the Old Testament, including the Story of Joseph and the Story of David, as well as his New Testament cycles depicting the Passion of Christ, reveal his desire to communicate biblical truths through art. These small-format works were not merely decorative; they were intended to inspire faith and contemplation among viewers. Pencz's ability to blend intricate detail with profound spiritual themes allows his art to resonate with audiences even today, reminding us of the enduring power of faith expressed through creativity. His legacy as a Lutheran artist continues to inspire believers, inviting them to engage with the sacred stories of scripture through his remarkable visual interpretations.

Life & work

Georg Pencz was a German engraver and painter of the second quarter of the sixteenth century and one of the principal members of the Nuremberg Little Masters — Albrecht Dürer's heirs in Nuremberg who specialized in tiny, technically virtuoso engravings on biblical, mythological, and allegorical subjects. Born in or near Nuremberg around 1500, trained in Dürer's workshop in the early 1520s alongside Sebald and Barthel Beham, and tried in 1525 with the Beham brothers for radical Anabaptist beliefs (the three were briefly banished from Nuremberg before being permitted to return on signed promises of conformity to the Lutheran orthodoxy that the Nuremberg city council had adopted), he was active in Nuremberg for most of his career with significant working trips to Italy. He died in 1550 in Leipzig en route to a court appointment at the Königsberg court of Duke Albrecht of Prussia.

His Christian religious work is concentrated in small-format engravings, woodcuts, and book illustration in the standard Nuremberg Little Master format that Pencz, the Beham brothers, and Heinrich Aldegrever made into the dominant German Reformation devotional print genre of the second quarter of the sixteenth century. The Old Testament series — including the Story of Joseph in twelve plates, the Story of Tobias, the Patriarchs, the Story of David, the Liberation of Susanna — and the New Testament cycles — the Apostles in twelve plates, the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, the Twelve Articles of the Apostles' Creed, scenes from the Passion of Christ — circulated through the German Reformation publishing market in editions for several decades.

His painted output is smaller but includes a substantial body of portrait painting for the Nuremberg patrician clientele in the post-1525 decades when Pencz, having reconciled with the Nuremberg Lutheran council, served as official Stadtmaler (city painter) of Nuremberg. The portraits combine the Nuremberg portrait tradition descending from Dürer with the Italian-portrait conventions Pencz absorbed during his trips to Italy in the 1530s and 1540s.

He was a Lutheran his entire adult life after his 1525 trial. The Pencz workshop produced both confessionally Lutheran prints (with explicit theological content) and broader devotional and allegorical compositions distributed through the Nuremberg printing houses.

Bible scenes Georg Pencz painted

All works by Georg Pencz in our library

Abraham's Sacrifice, from "The Story of Abraham" by Georg Pencz

Abraham's Sacrifice, from "The Story of Abraham"

Georg Pencz · 1500

The Three Angels Visiting Abraham, from "The Story of Abraham" by Georg Pencz

The Three Angels Visiting Abraham, from "The Story of Abraham"

Georg Pencz · 1500

The Persecution of Job by Georg Pencz

The Persecution of Job

Georg Pencz · 1500

Solomon Worshipping Idols by Georg Pencz

Solomon Worshipping Idols

Georg Pencz · 1526

Judith and Holofernes Dining by Georg Pencz

Judith and Holofernes Dining

Georg Pencz · 1526

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist by Georg Pencz

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist

Georg Pencz · 1526

The Judgment of Solomon, from "Scenes from the Old Testament" by Georg Pencz

The Judgment of Solomon, from "Scenes from the Old Testament"

Georg Pencz · 1526

The Triumph of Eternity on Death, from The Triumph of Petrarch by Georg Pencz

The Triumph of Eternity on Death, from The Triumph of Petrarch

Georg Pencz · 1534

The Parable of the Father and His Two Sons in the Vineyard, from The Story of Christ by Georg Pencz

The Parable of the Father and His Two Sons in the Vineyard, from The Story of Christ

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from The Story of Christ by Georg Pencz

Christ Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from The Story of Christ

Georg Pencz · 1534

The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes, from "The Story of Christ" by Georg Pencz

The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes, from "The Story of Christ"

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ Speaking to the Disciples, from "The Story of Christ" by Georg Pencz

Christ Speaking to the Disciples, from "The Story of Christ"

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from "The Story of Christ" by Georg Pencz

Christ Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from "The Story of Christ"

Georg Pencz · 1534

The Parable of the Sower, from "The Story of Christ" by Georg Pencz

The Parable of the Sower, from "The Story of Christ"

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ with the Doctors in the Temple, from The Story of Christ by Georg Pencz

Christ with the Doctors in the Temple, from The Story of Christ

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ Healing the Leper, from The Story of Christ by Georg Pencz

Christ Healing the Leper, from The Story of Christ

Georg Pencz · 1534

Christ and the Adulterous Woman by Georg Pencz

Christ and the Adulterous Woman

Georg Pencz · 1541

Tobias Leaving the Table, from "The Story of Tobias" by Georg Pencz

Tobias Leaving the Table, from "The Story of Tobias"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Tobias Leaving the Table, from "The Story of Tobias" by Georg Pencz

Tobias Leaving the Table, from "The Story of Tobias"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Tobiolus Catches the Fish, from The Story of Tobias by Georg Pencz

Tobiolus Catches the Fish, from The Story of Tobias

Georg Pencz · 1543

Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from "The Story of Tobias" by Georg Pencz

Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from "The Story of Tobias"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmael: Abraham holds forth a vessel as Hagar and Ishmael stride before him, from "The Story of Abraham" by Georg Pencz

Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmael: Abraham holds forth a vessel as Hagar and Ishmael stride before him, from "The Story of Abraham"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham, who sits at the foot of a bed, from "The Story of Abraham" by Georg Pencz

Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham, who sits at the foot of a bed, from "The Story of Abraham"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Christ and the Children by Georg Pencz

Christ and the Children

Georg Pencz · 1543

Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from The Story of Tobias by Georg Pencz

Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from The Story of Tobias

Georg Pencz · 1543

Tobiolus Makes a Propitiatory Sacrifice, from "The Story of Tobias" by Georg Pencz

Tobiolus Makes a Propitiatory Sacrifice, from "The Story of Tobias"

Georg Pencz · 1543

Frequently asked questions

What was Georg Pencz's faith?
Georg Pencz was a devout Lutheran throughout his adult life. His faith was central to his artistic practice, especially after his trial in 1525, which led him to embrace the Lutheran orthodoxy that shaped much of his work.
Why did Georg Pencz paint scenes from the Bible?
Pencz painted biblical scenes to communicate the theological tenets of the Reformation and to provide believers with visual access to scripture. His engravings, such as the Story of Joseph and the Passion of Christ, were designed to inspire faith and reflection.
What inspired Georg Pencz's religious art?
Pencz's religious art was inspired by his deep commitment to Lutheran beliefs and the teachings of the Bible. His training under Albrecht Dürer and his experiences during the Reformation influenced his desire to create works that conveyed spiritual truths.
What is Georg Pencz best known for in Christian art?
Georg Pencz is best known for his small-format engravings and woodcuts that depict biblical narratives and theological themes. His series on the Old Testament and New Testament cycles were particularly influential during the German Reformation.
Did Georg Pencz belong to a religious order?
While Georg Pencz did not belong to a formal religious order, he was a committed Lutheran artist who actively engaged with the theological discussions of his time and produced art that reflected his faith and the principles of the Reformation.

Further reading