Artwork
Saint Mark and Saint Luke

Saint Mark and Saint Luke is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Juan Ribalta. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The presence of the book carries symbolic weight, signifying the written Gospel and the apostolic mission of preaching its message.
The painting depicts two of the four Evangelists, Mark and Luke, rendered as figures of religious devotion. According to the catalogue record, the work portrays Mark the Evangelist and Luke the Evangelist together with a book, a standard attribute associated with the Evangelists as authors of their respective Gospels. The pairing of two evangelists in a single composition reflects a tradition of representing the authors of the New Testament texts as identifiable, book-bearing figures within religious art.
The presence of the book carries symbolic weight, signifying the written Gospel and the apostolic mission of preaching its message. As a religious genre work held by the Museo del Prado, the painting functions within the visual culture of Counter-Reformation Spain, where images of the Evangelists served both devotional and didactic purposes, reinforcing scriptural authority for viewers.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1625 by Juan Ribalta, this religious work is an oil painting on canvas. The composition depicts the evangelists Mark and Luke, who are shown in the presence of a book. The panel measures 66 cm in height and 102 cm in width.
Currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, the piece exemplifies the artist's approach to sacred subjects during this period.
History & Provenance
The painting Saint Mark and Saint Luke was created in 1625 by Juan Ribalta as an oil on canvas work measuring 66 cm by 102 cm. It was commissioned for a religious context and depicts the evangelists Mark and Luke alongside a book. The artwork entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display.
The provenance indicates ownership by the Museo del Prado from its inception, reflecting a continuous institutional holding without recorded private sales or transfers.
Saint Mark and Saint Luke, an oil-on-canvas work by Juan Ribalta dated 1625, is held in the Museo del Prado. The painting measures 66 cm in height by 102 cm in width and is catalogued within the museum's collection of religious art. No specific accession number or exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
In 1625 the Spanish Baroque artist Juan Ribalta painted a work titled Saint Mark and Saint Luke. Executed in oil on canvas, the composition presents two elderly, bearded figures seated outdoors, each clutching a book. The painting is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection and exemplifies Ribalta’s early‑Baroque style.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Juan Ribalta (1597 – October 1628) was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period. He was born and died in Valencia. His father, Francisco Ribalta, was a famous painter, active in the style of Caravaggio. Some sources…











