Saint John, plate four from The Four Evangelists
Medium
Engraving in black on laid paper
Dimensions
Image: Diam.: 15 cm (5 15/16 in.); Plate: Diam.: 17 cm (6 3/4 in.); Sheet: 17.9 × 17.8 cm (7 1/16 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
238554
Art Historical Context
Jacques de Gheyn II created this finely detailed engraving of Saint John in 1588 as the fourth and final plate in his series *The Four Evangelists*. Working in the Netherlands during a period of religious and political upheaval, de Gheyn employed the precise lines and tonal contrasts possible with engraving on laid paper to capture the apostle’s contemplative expression and symbolic eagle. The circular format, measuring about 15 centimeters across, gives the image a medallion-like intimacy suited to private devotion or study. Engravings such as this one played an important role in spreading r...
About the Artist
Jacques de Gheyn, II · 1565–1629
Jacques de Gheyn II (1565–1629) was born in Antwerp into an artistic family, receiving his earliest instruction from his father, Jacob de Gheyn I, a skilled glass painter, engraver, and draftsman. In 1585, the young de Gheyn moved to Haarlem, where he spent five formative years studying under Hendrik Goltzius, one of the most celebrated engravers of the Northern Renaissance. This apprenticeship pr...