Art on Trial: Savonarola vs. Luther in the Age of Reform

What happens when Renaissance art meets religious reform?In this episode of AP Art History in 15, Mr. Bruns puts some of the most famous artworks in Western history on trial—through the eyes of two of the most controversial figures of the late 15th and early 16th centuries.Girolamo Savonarola, the fiery Florentine preacher who believed art could corrupt the soulMartin Luther, the reformer who challenged the Catholic Church but still saw art as a powerful teaching toolWe compare how these two men would have reacted to iconic works including:• The Merode Altarpiece – Robert Campin• Adam and Eve – Albrecht Dürer• The School of Athens – Raphael• The Arnolfini Portrait – Jan van Eyck• The Last Supper – Leonardo da Vinci• The Creation of Adam – MichelangeloAlong the way, Mr Bruns will break down symbolism, function, patronage, and belief systems, exploring how Renaissance and Northern Renaissance artists navigated faith, humanism, and visual storytelling during a period of religious upheaval.