The Lion of Saint Mark

1485·Engraving on paper·9 × 8.8 cm (3 9/16 × 3 1/2 in.)

<p>Martin Schongauer’s roundel of a winged lion is part of a set of engravings of the symbols of the four Evangelists: Matthew (eagle), Mark (lion), Luke (ox), and John (angel). Here Saint Mark’s haloed, noble beast stands at attention, emitting a stately roar. A banderole weaves between its legs in empty folds; this scroll was included so that the engraving’s owner could inscribe it with the story of Christ’s life and resurrection, as Mark described in his Gospel.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1485
Medium: Engraving on paper
Dimensions: 9 × 8.8 cm (3 9/16 × 3 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Martin Schongauer

Artist

Martin Schongauer

Painting

Martin Schongauer, also known as Martin Schön or Hübsch Martin by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter. He was the most important printmaker north of the Alps before Albrecht Dürer, a younger artist who collected his work. Schongauer is the first German painter to be a significant engraver, although he seems to have had the family background and training in goldsmithing which was usual for early engravers.

Colmar, France

Full artist profile →