The Four Evangelists
Medium
Engraving; third state of five (Petitjean & Wickert)
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 3/8 × 4 in. (16.2 × 10.1 cm) Plate: 5 9/16 × 7 5/16 in. (14.2 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.1987
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of 17th-century French Baroque, *The Four Evangelists*ca. 1653) captures a timeless religious theme through the masterful collaboration of painter Eustache Le Sueur engraver Robert Nante. Le Sueur, a leading figure in the classical Baroque style, likely designed the original composition depicting Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John— symbolized by traditional emblems: the angel or man for Matthew, lion for Mark, ox (implied in avian motifs), and eagle (as birds) for John. Shown intently writing their Gospels amid these vivid symbols, the figures embody divine inspiration and scrip...
About the Artist
Robert Nanteuil|Eustache Le Sueur · 1623–1678
Robert Nanteuil (1623-1678) was a French portrait engraver, draughtsman, and pastellist who became the preeminent portraitist to the court of Louis XIV. His technical mastery and royal patronage fundamentally transformed the status of engraving in France, elevating it from a mechanical craft to a recognized fine art. Nanteuil stands as the outstanding French portrait engraver of the seventeenth c...