Artwork
The evangelist Mark
The evangelist Mark is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Artus Wolffort. It dates from 1601 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Technique & Style
It belongs to the religious art genre and was painted on wooden support, reflecting Baroque techniques of chiaroscuro and naturalistic figure rendering.
Oil paint on panel was the medium used for The evangelist Mark, a religious work by Artus Wolffort created in 1601. The painting measures 64 cm in height and 49 cm in width, depicting the Apostle Mark with a pen as he records his gospel. It belongs to the religious art genre and was painted on wooden support, reflecting Baroque techniques of chiaroscuro and naturalistic figure rendering.
The work is housed in the Museo del Prado, where it remains part of their collection of Counter-Reformation religious paintings.
History & Provenance
The painting titled The evangelist Mark was created by Artus Wolffort in 1601 as an oil on panel work portraying the evangelist Mark holding a pen. It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display in Madrid.
The painting is held in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, where it is inventoried as The Evangelist Mark by Artus Wolffort.
It has been exhibited at the Museo del Prado on multiple occasions, including in the 2016–2017 display El Triunfo del Barroco: Carlismo y arte en los Países Bajos meridionales (1600–1680), where it was presented alongside other works from the Southern Netherlands Baroque period.
Overview
Artus Wolffort’s 1601 oil painting titled The Evangelist Mark presents the apostle Mark engaged in the act of writing. Executed in the early Baroque period, the work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection in Madrid. The composition focuses on a solitary figure illuminated against a dark backdrop, emphasizing the act of transcription as a devotional gesture.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays Mark, traditionally regarded as the author of the second Gospel, holding a feather pen and inscribing a text. By depicting the evangelist in the midst of his literary task, Wolffort underscores the sanctity of scriptural transmission and the contemplative dedication required to convey divine revelation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Artus Wolffort, Artus Wolffaert or Artus Wolffaerts (1581–1641) was a Flemish painter known mainly for his history paintings depicting religious and mythological scenes.
