The Evangelists St Mark and St Luke
by STOM, Matthias, Oil on canvas, 113 x 154 cm
The painting, strongly influenced by Caravaggio, shows two of the Four Evangelists. Mark, seen to the left, looking directly at the viewer, is shown with the attribute of a lion and holding a large book with the words: ‘Pax tibi, marce, evangelista mea’ (‘Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist’), the words spoken by Christ when he visited him in prison. To the right, Luke is seen writing his gospel, with the ox, his attribute, beside him.
The pendant of this painting, now in Columbia University, New York, depicts the Evangelists Matthew and John.