The Evangelists

Lucas van Leyden painted this depiction of the Evangelists around 1505, during his remarkably precocious early career. Lucas was already producing masterful engravings and paintings as a teenager in Leiden, and he became one of the most innovative Northern European artists of the early 16th century. This early work shows his distinctive approach to figure composition. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

Oil on panel with Lucas's characteristically fluid technique and nuanced light effects. The Evangelists are rendered with individual personalities and naturalistic detail that anticipate his later masterworks.