The Lion of Saint Mark
c. 1490
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
9 × 8.8 cm (3 9/16 × 3 1/2 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
50155
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Martin Schongauer’s roundel of a winged lion is part of a set of engravings of the symbols of the four Evangelists: Matthew (eagle), Mark (lion), Luke (ox), and John (angel). Here Saint Mark’s haloed, noble beast stands at attention, emitting a stately roar. A banderole weaves between its legs in empty folds; this scroll was included so that the engraving’s owner could inscribe it with the story of Christ’s life and resurrection, as Mark described in his Gospel.
About the Artist
Martin Schongauer · 1435–1491
Martin Schongauer, born around 1450–1453 in Colmar, Alsace, emerged from a family of skilled artisans. The third of four or five sons of goldsmith Caspar Schongauer, who had relocated from Augsburg to Colmar around 1440, Martin was immersed in the goldsmith's trade from youth, likely receiving his initial training in his father's workshop—a common path for early engravers. He further honed his ski...