Lucas Cranach the Elder, Saint Maurice - a Black saint in the Renaissance

Lucas Cranach the Elder and workshop, Saint Maurice, c. 1520-25, oil on linden, 137.2 x 39.4 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
A conversation with Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@SpartanExistence]

i love how pre 1500s history of 'blacks' turns the table on widespread belief that black history was rooted upheaval and bound in a narrative of oppression. it is a redpill moment to view the black body outside of this narrow context. thank you for widening the aperture around this very nuanced subject. My black history does not begin with ships!

[@akadopeboi]

Totally agree its quite interesting, I find the fact that its mostly hidden to be FASCINATING!!! LIKE WHY!?!?! What epic Human all of history lesson are we about to learn? I think its quite necessary to learn it, for us to become the best version of ourselves collectively. I would call it a confirmation though vs. a red pill moment just from what that "red pill" terminology can mean politically in the US right now. But Yes, Quite fascinating indeed, it confirms something we kind of all knew growing up with each other in public schools. We Are All Great. Its interesting, because we have quite the unity and global community now a days to hopefully allow this grand human pathway towards Utopia to continue.

[@jeffbillings-el6110]

@@yadelterefe6998 I never said that Moors were Black ⚫, because there's no such thing as Black skin people! The Original Moors are Amagizh Moors ( Moorish to be exact) even though they were a very dark complexed, the were considered White , not as in White paint or white paper, they were White because the Moors was the Original, First , Lord of the Land, and of the entire Earth,. And just to take it a step higher, Melanated people are owners of the Earth, "THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE Earth , THE RIGHTEOUS, GOD-MAN OF THE EARTH 🌎 BECAUSE GOD'S PEOPLE WERE CREATED WITH A PURIFIED ( WHITE ) SOULS, UNBLEISH SOULS . , LIVING SOULS . YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT A METAPHOR IS BEING USED TO DESCRIBE ( WHITE ) PURITY. THE CURRENT INHABITANTS OF NORTHERN AFRICA ARE NOT ORGANIC TO NORTHERN AFRICA, THEY ARE HYBRIDS, FROM THE MIXTURE OF THE ASIATIC DARK OLIVE MOORS AND ASIATIC DARK OLIVE COMPLEXED ARABS FROM THE EAST . MOST OF NORTHERN AFRICA ARE OF EUROPEAN STOCK. MOORS LOVED THEIR PALE SKIN WOMEN , EUROPEANS SOLD THEIR OWN WOMEN TO THE MOORS . EUROPEANS WERE ALLOWED TO MIX WITH THE MOORS . IT'S LIKE MEASURING CREAM INTO DARK COFFEE ☕THE MORE CREAM THAT YOU PUT INTO THE DARK COFFEE ☕ THE LIGHTER THE POPULATION GETS. EUROPEANS ARE THE BLACK RACE, THIS IS WHY THEIR SKIN IS PALE, BECAUSE THEIR SOULS TURNED BLACK. 🤔🤔🤔 PALE SKIN PEOPLE ARE THE TRUE BLACK RACE.

[@mosescola4174]

It’s hard to believe that some people don’t think he actually existed.

[@NGT4LIFE]

It's because ignorant people only want to believe black people were only ever slaves.

[@mosescola4174]

@@NGT4LIFE true that. Even lighter skinned African Americans think they are better than darker skinned African Americans due to some false privilege.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

When I was a child I loved the work of Cranach, but the Elder was my favorite. My father was a artist and a scientist who often travelled fir his scientific work. When I was 14 he took me with him to California. He learned that Virgin Under an Apple Tree was on display…I don’t remember which city. He took me there as a surprise.When I saw it I could nit speak…the light in the apples transfixed me and I cried. I still remember it to this day. Best moment with my father ever!

[@strongjaymusicgroup]

US Army Infantry’s highest honor one can receive…. “The order of saint Maurice”.

[@oldschool988]

WOW Awesome

[@Kurios3]

I would love to see a movie about St. Maurice.

[@dbeasley17]

I totally agree. It’ll be a movie of triumph

[@Renwoxing13]

We’re you not listening either of you !? Well I guess that can’t be helped since they hid the truth without exposing the lie, & couched their words to deceive those not paying attention. By the way the truth is more interesting then the fiction & more important to black history I believe : St maurice was white. There are plenty of depictions that are older then ( in their own words ) : “The oldest depiction of st maurice WHERE HE IS BLACK” So instead of a random soldier or leader of soldiers who was martyred that was black it then becomes : Why would st maurice be depicted and painted as black in Europe !? This fact alone confers power onto blacks a lot more then a supposed black saint !

[@JAYSPLASHMUSIC]

hollywood will only do slave movies of so called blacks. Never depict them as nobles

[@carlcollins5615]

Thank You so much for this Information, I've been interest in Saint Maurice since spending time in Germany when I heard about the "Coburg Moor". At first I was angry at the imagery, they used. then I found out how they felt about him as the patron saint. so powerful.

[@purebeauty8901]

What an outstanding story of saint Maurice...thanks for sharing!

[@Sasha0927]

😌 So nice to see some chocolate around here, lol. What a guy St. Maurice was, too. I do enjoy hearing about examples of the (w)holly devoted servants of God. His armor is is beautifully detailed. For some reason, I'm obsessed with the flat toe shoe, but I'd love to stand in front of this painting and appreciate the details from top to bottom. Way to represent, Mo.

[@_VISION.]

1:24 don't just skip over that! What fire?!

[@olaabdull6428]

He was born in Egypt...

[@bryantmarshall6592]

Absolutely and "Black African" in appearance. Sounds like Egypt is in Africa to me.

[@deannabrison-vm3xj]

Egypt is part of Africa and Africa is not the original name of the continent.

[@MightySuperb1000]

@@NoQuestionsAskedd​​⁠ You guys throw that term “sub Saharan around so much, as if it’s a pejorative to emphasize the “sub” part. Meanwhile it just refers to the more fertile grassland below the desert in Africa. And yes there were and still are Black people who are from both the Sahara desert and grasslands, contrary to what the racialized subtext of “Sub Saharan” implies.

[@wildnjokes]

AMAZING!

[@markherron1407]

Congratulations 👏🎉 on your 640 milestone and Saint Maurice IS BLACK 🖤 Egyptian Blessings and Hugs 💖💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕!

[@oldschool988]

St. Maurice Pray For Us

[@Th3J0h4nn]

Thank you for a fascinating discussion.

[@kik9a]

I like to think that the shiny armor is in its material beauty symboling and referencing to the nonmaterial beauty and unique featture of the relics. Or thats how I understand it, is it right? I mean to consider why was everything so expensive, and in gold, that there was a symbolic and religious meaning behind it, not just that it was gold beacause it was important and the church was rich? I mean lots ot the golden reliquary and altars from around of 8th to the peak of midlleage in 14th and 15th century, could be referencing maybe to the golden New Heaven Jerusalem which is described inthe Revelations? (im no christian, just trying to understand relationship between the material and the religious importance of relics.)

[@cas3571]

Some of the captions on this video are incorrect. At 3:45 the captions say "murdered", but it should be "martyred" I think. At 3:50 the captions say "heal Christians" where it should be "kill Christians".

[@imagineth]

Amazing

[@villentretenmerthjackdaw4205]

Would love to see a video on Boticelli's Madonna del Magnificat!

[@khonsuwerk9757]

Thanks!!!

[@lindarobertson]

Thank you for this analysis. The intersection of Cranach the Elder, the Reformation, the representation of St. Maurice, and the subsequent whitewashing if I might use that term was fascinating. I think an appreciation of Cranach's attention to the details of sumptuous costuming, even in armor, is an essential aspect of his work, so much at odds with his (befuddled) Adam and Eve. As you suggest, Cranach's aesthetic and subject matter seem at odds with the Reformation and his adherence to Luther. His work is a fascinating interplay of the forces at work on him in Wittenberg, not to mention his own wealth and success in the political realm--until his own beliefs turned the world upside down. Thank you again for your analysis. It added to my appreciation and understanding of Cranach--not to mention the diversity embraced by the Roman Empire itself as well as Early Christianity. I hope to see more such talks.

[@halfnorfolk5310]

Why is "St. Maurice" dressed like a nobleman? I've seen many representations of St. Maurice, all in different clothing. This is unusual for a saint. St. Maurice, historically, was a soldier from a Roman regiment.

[@luxio369]

because in the middle ages nobleman=soldier

[@anthonylynch303]

@@luxio369 His mother was the queen of Poland.

[@NGT4LIFE]

@@dresamuel8726 why would they lie? Normally when they lie about black history...they hide the good parts..and claim they weren't black,but white or Arab...that's why they turned him white after he died. Whites and Arabs are the biggest liars when it comes to black history. So it's good to see them telling the truth here. Of course you being the ignorant person you are only want to believe black people were only ever slaves. If you go to Europe you will see many moors statues and moors heads of black people...not Arabs or whites.

[@MrBlaqgold]

Because the st maurice excuse is used to hide the numerous black nobility depicted throughout the middle ages and 19th - 20th century historians were too lazy/rae cist to consider that there could be black nobles, so they just labelled them all st maurice, regardless or era, location, and appearance. Also in this video the noble is flying the flag of the house of brandenburg, not the double headed eagle of the Holy Roman empire. This is a noble belonging to the Brandenburg family most likely.

[@lewhensilvar3521]

How was he represented before the 13th century?

[@Renwoxing13]

As white. However, I for one think that places much more importance on black history then a supposed black soldier or leader of soldiers who was sainted ! Why would he be painted black in Europe !? That speaks volumes more then a supposed saint who was recoloured !

[@shanahunter6061]

​​@@Renwoxing13he has never been depicted as white stop it

[@chavezmoore390]

Excellent

[@egyptiangirl3105]

Beautiful ❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰

[@nni9310]

Wasn't t Cranach fond of painting figures wearing large hats with pom-poms?

[@roniquebreauxjordan1302]

Pax Romana

[@nordfaen]

BEAUTIFUL