Mark the Evangelist

Mark the Evangelist at the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, another of the early evangelist series from around 1615, depicts the author of the second Gospel with his traditional lion attribute. Guercino's vivid early style, with its bold chiaroscuro and emotional immediacy, gave way after 1621 to a more classical manner influenced by the taste of Rome, creating two distinct bodies of work that represent the Baroque's competing impulses toward drama and order.

The evangelist's inspired expression and the accompanying lion create a powerful image of divine inspiration. The early dramatic lighting characterizes Guercino's youthful style.