St. Mark, seated with an unfurled scroll in his hands, a winged lion's head and forefeet emerge beneath his robes, from a series of the four evangelists after Agostino Veneziano, which are in turn after Giulio Romano

Art Historical Context

Behold the majestic *St. Mark, Seated with an Unfurled Scroll*, an exquisite 16th-century engraving that captures the evangelist in a moment of profound contemplation. Seated gracefully, St. Mark holds open a scroll symbolizing his Gospel, while the head and forefeet of his emblematic winged lion emerge mysteriously from beneath his robes—a clever fusion of human divinity and symbolic beast, evoking the saint's traditional attribute rooted in early Christian iconography. This is part of a revered series depicting the four evangelists, derived from designs by the masterful engraver Agostino Veneziano (Agostino dei Musi), who drew inspiration from the innovative Mannerist painter Giulio Romano. Created after 1518, it exemplifies the Renaissance-era technique of engraving, where intricate lines incised into a copper plate allowed for detailed reproductions and widespread dissemination of elite artistic visions. Measuring just 9 7/16 x 6 15/16 inches, its compact scale belies the monumental presence of the figures. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this anonymous Italian work highlights printmaking's cultural role in the 16th century: bridging high art with devotional life, enabling pilgrims and scholars alike to carry sacred imagery into their homes. A testament to artistic collaboration across generations, it invites us to ponder the enduring power of saints in Renaissance devotion.