Martin Luther — Rebel, Genius, Liberator: Politics and Marketing 1517–2017

Abstract

The American artist Brad Downey argues that Martin Luther was the first street artist. One of Downey’s paintings shows Luther at the door of the church in Wittenberg. But instead of the 95 theses, Luther writes ‘Beauty is the process itself’, while he is monitored by video cameras and God asks for his autograph.¹ Aside from providing a critique of the current status quo of street art, this artwork focuses on what is considered as the defining moment of the Reformation: bold public resistance against the all-embracing powers of the Catholic Church. Equally, it captures the decisive turning point in Luther’s life which shapes any Reformation narrative — in writing, in exhibitions, or in films: as Downey’s work highlights, in 1517 a personal quest turned public. From this point on, Martin Luther was depicted in a wide variety of ways: his followers propagated an image of him as an increasingly saintly figure, his opponents portrayed a seven-headed Luther who collaborated with the devil in plotting the end of Christianity. While the twentieth century refrained from such extreme polemics, there was — and is — still scope for diverse interpretations.