The four Evangelists 1614

Editor: So, this is Rubens' "The Four Evangelists" from 1614, painted in oil. What strikes me immediately is how weighty it feels, not just physically but also intellectually. It's a painting of thinkers, each seemingly grappling with enormous concepts. What do you see in it? Curator: Well, that weightiness you mention is palpable, isn’t it? It’s the Baroque spirit in full bloom, this love for drama and intensity. I always get a sense of this frenetic intellectual activity. Each evangelist is so distinctive. Do you notice the almost hidden symbols for each behind their heads? Matthew has his angel. Mark the Lion. John the eagle and Luke has his ox! It is Rubens’s allegorical way to allude to each Evangelist. Editor: Yes! Those symbols are great details. It’s like a divine board meeting, almost chaotic. Is that a fair take? Curator: Absolutely! Rubens revels in that sense of dynamic disarray, doesn't he? Look at how the colours swirl around the canvas, the stark contrast between the light and the shadow. It's not just about depicting these figures, but capturing the fervor of their thought, their struggles with translating the divine. What do you make of that use of light? Editor: It's very dramatic! It leads your eyes all over the place. The Evangelist with the green clothes and the open chest it certainly highlighted by light, for sure, as is John's angel and eagle behind him. That angel especially seems illuminated! Curator: Exactly. I feel, sometimes, like it is a kind of spotlight highlighting a play on a stage. A fascinating insight into faith and intellectual inquiry. Editor: Absolutely. Now, I feel that painting this has revealed the sheer amount of the thinking, writing, and processing of information. The artist must really see those as activities done by humanity to relate to God. Curator: That's an amazing, astute reflection, yes. It does, doesn’t it? Makes you think about what is like to devote your life to divine intellectual enquiry, it really does!