"Luther as personality": Luther portraits of Karl Bauer (1868-1942) and the self-concept of Protestantism in the first half of the 20th century [Luther als Persönlichkeit". Die Lutherbildnisse Karl Bauers (1868 1942) und das Selbstverständnis des Protestantismus in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts]

Abstract

The article explores for the first time the theological relevance of the work of the artist Karl Bauer (18681942), who specialized in portraits of those he called Great Men". Influenced by the pseudo-science of phrenology, he believed that "greatness" manifested itself in certain features of the skull. Luther, for example, he painted with a prominent forehead as a sign of strong will and Germanic defiance, presenting him as a national hero whose translation of the bible into German had laid the foundation of Bismarcks Empire of 1870. Bauers Luther-portraits became a trademark of national Protestantism until well into the 20 th-century and were used in the mass media of popular culture. Their enormous popularity points to the relevance of non-logocentric means of theological communication which have not yet been sufficiently appreciated as an important source of church history. © 2011 Walter de Gruyter.