“CRANACH’S work was daring for the time, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the political and religious upheaval surrounding him,” says Julie Finch, curator at Compton Verney gallery.

“But he also understood his market. Famous for working quickly, he employed a large workshop, which produced numerous versions on popular themes, such as Venus and Cupid or Adam and Eve.

“Instantly recognisable today, these works have become the archetypal images of temptation and its consequences.”

One of the leading German painters and printmakers of the early 16th century, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) was the chief artist of the Reformation, producing powerful woodcut illustrations for his friend Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible.

His innovations included new types of religious images, portraits and the development of distinctive stylised female nudes.

Featuring some of his most beguiling paintings and illustrations, the exhibition also showcases modern and contemporary works by artists including Pablo Picasso, Ishbel Myerscough and Michael Landy, all demonstrating Cranach’s enduring artistic influence and legacy over the last five centuries.

The exhibition also includes new works by Raqib Shaw, Claire Partington and Wolfe von Lenkiewicz, which engage with Cranach’s relevance to contemporary audiences and the status of his paintings as icons of Western art history.

Over 40 artworks and objects make up this landmark review of Cranach’s hugely influential career, which not only offers a comprehensive introduction to the artist and his family but also casts light on idiosyncratic treatment of the human form.

The exhibition is “a wonderful way to demonstrate that even the great court painters, such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, did so much more than painting,” says Finch.

“Their legacy remains active and relevant in our cultural psyche today.”

Runs from March 14–June 14, opening times and prices: comptonverney.org.uk.