Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian and founder of the Protestant Reformation. Luther was initially trained in law, but in 1505 entered a monastery. He left in 1507, and in 1512 he joined the faculty at the University of Wittenberg. In 1517 he posted a set of objections on the door of the church at Wittenberg. This act is seen as the start of the Protestant Reformation. Luther was excommunicated in 1520 and declared an outlaw in 1521. He translated the Bible into German and his hymns inspired the development of singing in churches. This painting is by the German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553).