PETER VISCHER
his day, Peter Vischer the younger, as we gather
from Neudérffer’s mention of him, did not confine
himself to bronze work, but dabbled in various
kindred arts. We have a noticeable instance of
this in the «* Allegory on the Reformation” (1524),
an aquarelle now preserved at Weimar, which once
roused the enthusiasm of Goethe, and which re-
veals to us his political and religious creed. In
common .with Hans Sachs, Albert Diirer, and
Willibald Pirkheimer, and the great majority of
Nurembergers, Peter Vischer had thrown in his
lot with the Protestant Reformers, and boldly
espoused the cause of Luther. Luther he here
represents as some hero of old story who has de-
stroyed the palace and upset the throne of the
usurper, and scattered the base crowd of his
courtiers. The Pope and the mighty princes of
the Church have been put down from their seat
and the horde of their hateful minions—Pride,
Luxury, and Avarice—flee away. In their stead
Faith, Hope, and Charity are about to enthrone
Justice, whilst Luther; the humble and unworldly,
shows the straight path to Christ, who descends
from the clouds to save publicans and sinners.
Rome's might, it is implied, is broken; the Ger-
man people can at last, through Luther’s act, hold
direct communion with their Redeemer once more.
Only a German Emperor, so it must have seemed
to the German enthusiasts of that time, was want-
ing—no Spaniard like Charles V., with his brood
of alien courtiers—to continue the work of Luther
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