MLPic2: eagle eyes, as a lion, "genuine Luther picture"– Walther (Part 2 of 3)

      This continues from Part 1, a short series on F. W. Wehle's great portrait of Martin Luther. — Walther's overview of the notable features in images of Luther is most instructive — he puts into words what is so distinctive about Luther's physical appearance. Again, from 1882 Der Lutheraner, vol. 38, p. 104 [EN]:

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The most beautiful Luther picture

“One cannot get enough of the picture.”

[by C. F. W. Walther] (concluded from Part 1)

 

Luther's "eagle eyes"

Thus, for example, Dr. Erasmus Alberus, who as a student saw Luther daily in his lectures for years and also later had much contact with him, described Luther as follows: 

“He had a fine, clear, brave face and eagle eyes and was of limbs a beautiful person.” F. S. Keil, who in 1764 published an excellent book on “Luther's Strange Circumstances of Life”, adds: “Of these ‘eagle eyes’ (Luther's) it is remarkable that they have been passed on to his children, grandchildren and children's children. All accurate pictures show such eyes. Whoever has seen such a portrait will also perceive such eyes in all children of Luther's heritage. And to whom these portraits are known, and sees a Luther child of Luther’s heritage, even if he does not know it, he will say: “that is a Luther face”. Keil also makes the remark that all portraits of Luther, which are found in noble courts, in cabinets and large public libraries, also agree that Luther had a somewhat blunt nose, raised lips and short frizzy hair.

<<--[Luther's "mane']

The famous physician Dr. Ratzeberger, Luther's godfather, remarks in his description of Luther's life that he “had a long-haired mane like a lion on his forehead”.  

The well-known highly learned theologian Valentin Ernst Löscher, who had one of the largest private libraries and collections of portraits of Lutheran theologians, says of Luther: “The blessed man was of healthy and firm constitution, which was not soon weakened even by his almost unbearable work. The stocky stature, the complete (full) face, together with the lively color indicated it.” 

Cranach the Younger, Luther portrait

When in 1746 the second secular celebration of Luther's death was celebrated in many places in Germany, a commemorative publication by the Wittenberg professor Karl Gottlob Hoffmann dealing with this subject was published in Latin, in which he reports, among other things, the following: “On the southern wall of the church, next to Luther's grave, there is a picture of Luther mounted on a wooden panel (see here), painted by Lucas Cranach the Younger, the world-famous painter from Wittenberg, in life-size, exactly in the shape and physique that the great man had in life, as Menz assures us. The face is heroic, the eyes sparkling, the whole face reveals a peculiar bravery of spirit and majesty, which can hardly be described in words and which inspires the highest awe in all onlookers. 

[Luther’s robe]-->>

Therefore, what Melchior Adam recalled in his biography is confirmed: ‘He was of a lion-like vivacity of eye, so that not all could bear the look of it.’ The habit is the same that the church servants wore in Saxony at that time, namely a black and wrinkled robe hanging down to the ankles.” —

We have taken the liberty of informing our readers of this, partly in order to draw their attention to the fact that God has really already stamped the outward appearance of his great armament Luther as a miracle man, partly because it is therefore foolish to be satisfied with any image of Luther, even if it is a still so miserable distorted image or even if it is a beautiful one, which does not reflect Luther's true impressive figure at all and therefore also creates a completely wrong idea of it.

Therefore, it gives us great pleasure to be able to report to our readers that the Luther picture just published by our dear F. W. Wehle in Milwaukee really has all the characteristics of a genuine Luther picture, which all reliable descriptions and still existing old faithful Luther pictures demand. Mr. Wehle has designed it not only on the basis of years of study, but also with a devotion to his subject, as it can only be found in a Lutheran, who is one out of the liveliest conviction and with all his heart. This painting is by no means about monetary gain. Mr. Wehle did not want the work to praise himself, the master, but to praise Luther, the original. In our opinion, this painting surpasses all its predecessors and contemporaries. This judgment does not give us blind partial love for our painter, but compels us to love Luther, of whom we wish that he be presented to the Lutherans of our time, even in his outward appearance, not like a fine diplomat, or like an emotional theologian, or like a coarse unpolished dull man, but just as he was, as God the Lord created and formed him. 

The picture by Wehle, a lithograph, shows Luther in full stature and in his best years, standing at a desk in the room of a castle [not "reading in a church"], stepping with one foot on a torn indulgence slip, pointing with the index finger of his right hand to a place of the open Bible lying in front of him and looking around him with an expression that expresses his faith resting on God's Word, as on an unshakable rock. One cannot get enough of the picture. The original is a large oil painting, which the painter intends to dedicate to the projected new Concordia Seminary. [An Internet search came up empty on this – who has this painting now?  Did CSSL ever receive the painting??]

The price of a copy is set as low as it was possible, namely to one dollar. May this beautiful picture soon adorn all the houses of our Lutherans! It can be obtained both from our Concordia publishing house and from the painter himself. Don the latter at the address: Mr. F. W Wehle, 107 Wisconsin St., Milwaukee, Wis.      W. [Walther]

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      According to 1909 St. Louis history book Historical and Interesting places of Saint Louis, “Among the art pieces in this school is a painting "Martin Luther" by F. W. Wehle, the gift of the artist.” But a search of CSSL websites turned up no evidence that they still have this painting, so at best they don't promote it, at worst they got rid of an Old Missouri treasure. Perhaps CHI possesses it now. — As stated above, this Wehle painting is the frontispiece page in at least two magisterial books of Luther's life, the books of Pastor Herman Fick and Johann Mathesius,  from the Old German Missouri Synod. — In the next Part 3, we find another writing in Der Lutheraner of 1882 on this "genuine Luther picture." Also more on the painter Wehle.