Dr. Martin Luther. Geb. in Eisleben, den 10 Nov.1483. Gest. zu Eisleben, den 18 Febr. 1546.

Title

Dr. Martin Luther. Geb. in Eisleben, den 10 Nov.1483. Gest. zu Eisleben, den 18 Febr. 1546.

Representaion of Martin Luther in his library in Wittenberg.

ca. 1820

Artist

May (1845-1914)

The Eduard Gustav May company (later May & Wirsing and E. G. May Sons) was a Frankfurt art publisher that existed from 1845 to 1914 and was one of the leading German producers of popular prints. The company was founded on December 22nd, 1845 by the autodidact in the lithography shop Eduard Gustav May (1818–1907) in the Großer Hirschgraben with an old hand press. Initially May published art papers based on works by Frankfurt artists. May made the first big deal in 1848 with the order of the publisher Keller to produce views of the Paulskirche and the parliament as well as portraits of the members of parliament. May then bought six new presses, which he used to print event pictures and political caricatures in large numbers. In the 1850s, the company produced not only colored artist illustrations, but also a series of portraits of Frankfurt dignitaries and artists. In 1860 the company relocated to a new building at Eschersheimer Landstrasse 28/32. At this time, May also began to produce delicately colored gene graphics for upper-class home furnishings. After E. G. May left the company in 1878, his two sons Robert and Franz took over the company, which from then on traded under the name of E. G. May Sons. In 1880, the Mays sold all of the old production in order to concentrate only on the chromolithography business from now on.

Historical Description

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben (in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany). He was a German theologian, monk, and reformer who played a central role in the Reformation—a movement that led to the split of the Roman Catholic Church and the rise of the Protestant churches. Luther initially studied law but entered the monastery of the Augustinian Hermits in 1505. He was ordained as a priest in 1507. From 1512 onward, he taught theology at the University of Wittenberg. On October 31, 1517, he published his famous 95 Theses against the sale of indulgences—especially criticizing the Church's practice of selling indulgence letters. These theses spread rapidly and sparked a major religious and social debate. In 1521, Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms and refused to recant his writings ("Here I stand, I can do no other"). As a result, he was declared an outlaw but found protection at Wartburg Castle, where he translated the New Testament into German. In 1525, Luther married former nun Katharina von Bora and advocated for reforms in the Church, worship practices, and education. His teachings emphasized justification by faith alone and the authority of the Bible over Church traditions. He died on February 18, 1546, in his hometown of Eisleben.