Matthew, Mark, Luke and John · Four Gospels · Word, book and vision

Evangelists combine writing, inspiration and four winged symbols to give a face to the traditional authors of the Gospels.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the four Evangelists, traditional authors of the canonical accounts of the life of Christ. Christian art identifies them by the four living beings of the vision of Ezekiel and Revelation: the angel for Matthew, the lion for Mark, the ox for Luke and the eagle for John. They appear together around Christ or isolated in front of a book. Luke, considered patron saint of painters, is often depicted drawing the Virgin; John is shown together around Christ or isolated in front of a book. Luke, considered patron saint of painters, is often depicted drawing the Virgin; John receives celestial inspiration at Patmos. Rubens brings the authors together in energetic conversation, Fra Bartolomeo orders them around Christ, Rogier van der Weyden transforms Luke into an artist and Bosch opens John's gaze towards the vision. The "Evangelists" selection notably compares The Four Evangelists - Peter Paul Rubens and Christ with the four Evangelists - Fra Bartolomeo. Its reading favors the material.

Four authors, four symbols and four ways of writing: painting transforms the transmission of text into a visible experience of inspiration.