Symbols of the Four Evangelists c. 1470 - 1491

Editor: So, this is "Symbols of the Four Evangelists" by Martin Schongauer, created sometime between 1470 and 1491. It's an ink engraving. I find its crispness really striking for something so old; it almost feels modern in its simplicity. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: Oh, it sings to me of whispered secrets and silent stories! Look at the way the lines, like veins of ink, give shape to form. Schongauer was a master, truly. Each stroke feels deliberate, devotional. This isn’t just drawing, it’s a kind of prayer made visible. The symbolism—the angel, the unrolling scroll—it all points towards revelation. I can almost hear the rustling of parchment and feel the weight of sacred text. What do you feel when you imagine its historical context, considering he did this around the time when printed books started becoming popular? Editor: It's interesting to consider it alongside the printing revolution; maybe he saw printmaking as a way to disseminate these religious symbols further? But doesn’t that crispness also somewhat flatten the image? I mean, compared to some paintings of the era, it feels almost…stark. Curator: Perhaps, but that starkness is part of its power, no? It demands a different kind of attention, a closer reading. Imagine, a medieval audience, hungry for spiritual meaning, encountering this image! What did the average person think? Each line pregnant with symbolic weight. Also, I wonder, who actually consumed it back then, and what did they do with it? Was it tacked to the walls in churches or homes? Or stuck to prayer books and treated as collectibles by a new generation of art collectors? Editor: I guess I hadn’t really considered the different layers of meaning it could have held, then and now. Thanks for the insight! Curator: My pleasure. Every viewing unlocks something new, doesn't it?