Transcription
(piano music)
Man: We're in the Alte Pinakothek, a museum in Munich, Germany. We're looking at Albrecht Dürer's monumental Diptych, The Four Apostles—actually two panels.
Woman: This painting is so interesting because it coincides with the Protestant Reformation. Dürer, the artist, converted to Protestantism; he went from being a Catholic, a follower of the Pope in Rome, to being a follower of Martin Luther.
Man: I'm not sure that would be clear to everyone looking at this painting. So how do we know that?
Woman: Dürer depicted Paul and John, Martin Luther's favorite apostles, in the foreground. Behind John is Peter, the apostle most associated with the papacy, the Pope.
Man: He's the one holding the large gold key, the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Woman: Right there we have the Reformation. It was about Luther's idea that we should go back to the Bible, the original source, to learn about God and salvation—not the church and its practices, but God's word.
Man: The idea that the average person needed the papacy to unlock Heaven was no longer relevant. We all had access to the Bible.
Woman: Exactly. We could have a personal relationship with God through the Bible and prayer.
Man: This is only 50 years after Gutenberg invented the printing press in the West. The Bible was being printed and distributed. Luther translated it into German, not just Latin, but into common languages.
Woman: Before that, Bibles were only in the hands of monks and priests. We even see Luther's translation of the Bible in this painting. At the bottom, it says, "The Four Apostles."
Man: Let's identify everyone. On the left panel, closest to us, is John in red. We know it's John because of the serenity associated with him. The older, bald man behind him holding the key is Saint Peter. On the right, in the foreground, is Saint Paul. As expected, Paul holds a book and a sword.
Woman: Right, he was killed by the sword, and he held the book because he authored New Testament letters.
Man: Behind him is Saint Mark, holding a scroll.
Woman: Paul was another apostle important to Luther. Paul's words, "The just shall live by faith alone," inspired Luther. Salvation came by faith, not good works—the central Protestant idea.
Man: But I want to look at Dürer's achievement. These men are so powerful; there's such monumentality.
Woman: They're so different. John has a sense of calm as he reads.
Man: Peter, older, seems to be reading almost over John's shoulder, learning from what John shows him.
Woman: And I think a sense of subservience to John, too.
Man: His attribute, the key, is almost forgotten. Their attention is on the book.
Woman: The Bible is open to a passage that reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This emphasizes looking to God's word, not the church. Then, on the right, two very different personalities. Mark seems on the lookout for danger.
Man: While Paul seems to have completely accepted the dangers he faced.
Woman: He looks defensive.
Man: Almost angry.
Woman: These different personalities speak to this incredible moment of conflict.
Man: It was a tremendously dangerous time. Luther was rebelling against the church; states were breaking away.
Woman: Wars were fought, and people died. People had to decide between the church's path to salvation and the Protestant path. Their souls depended on this decision.
Man: There were practical considerations, too. Dürer, by giving up the Catholic faith, gave up church patronage.
Woman: Right. Luther and his followers were concerned about the role of images in the church. They worried people worshipped images instead of God. Protestant areas stopped commissioning artwork; the church had been the main patron of art.
Man: In fact, this wasn't a commission. Dürer made these paintings himself and gave them to the town elders; they were placed in Nuremberg's town hall.
Woman: This painting depicts the perilousness of Dürer's time. The four passages below show the apostles warning of false prophets, the ease with which humans go astray, and the importance of listening to God's word, not human interpreters. The compressed space focuses us on these figures transmitting God's word.
Man: What a moment. People's religious understanding was being reinvented, and Dürer reinvented how painting would respond. (piano music)