Title: Luther's Rose & Meaning
Media: acrylic on canvas
Size of original: 37 x 60 inches
Client: This artwork was commissioned in 2014 by Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Appleton, WI. It was given in loving memory of Joyce Leith by her family.


It was Pastor Roger McQuiston's vison to use Martin Luther's Rose to educate people about their Lutheran heritage. It is in a prominent gathering space to be studied and appreciated at close range. It is brought into the worship space for Reformation Sunday and for Confirmations.

Martin Luther, in 1519 while a professor at Wittenberg, originally set out to create a coat of arms for his family to summarize his faith in Christ and his cross. He wrote an explanation of the image to his friend, Herr Spengler, town clerk of Nuremberg. His image and the theology of the various parts of the image - black cross, red heart, white rose, blue sky, gold ring - have come to be known as Luther's Seal.