Prints From The Tetramorph - Saint Luc And Saint Marc - Joseph Albrier - Period: Early XIXth

Magnificent pair of prints made by Gille, Marie, Joseph Albrier (1791-1863) French painter, representing two of the four Evangelists accompanied by their creatures in reference to the Tetramorph which is found in the Apocalypse of Saint John.

They are enhanced by a refined frame in wood and gilded brass.

Print N ° 1: Saint Luc, drawn by Joseph Albrier and engraved by Etienne, Frédéric Lignon (1779-1833).
Period: XIXth
Circa: 1820
Dimensions: Height: 26.5cm x W: 23.3cm x D: 4.5cm

Print N ° 2: Saint Marc drawn by Joseph Albrier and engraved by Jean Bein (1789-1857).
Period: XIXth
Circa: 1820
Dimensions: Height: 26.5cm x W: 23.3cm x D: 4.5cm

In Christian art, we often find a motif called the Tetramorhpe. From the Greek tetra “four” and morphé “form”, this term designates any representation of a pattern comprising four elements, or literally any image containing four shapes.

It is the term used specifically to name the representations of the four evangelists, each being accompanied or represented by a creature.

Three of them are animals while the last - the one that represents Saint Matthew - is human, even angelic.

Saint Luke is associated with the bull because his Gospel emphasizes the sacrificial side of Christ's death. Now the bull has always been the animal of sacrifice par excellence, in Jewish tradition as in Roman paganism.
In the description of Luke's Nativity, the ox is a witness, along with the donkey, to the birth of Christ.

The lion is associated with Saint Mark because his Gospel highlights the majesty of Christ and his dignity as King, yet the lion traditionally appears as the king of animals. The Gospel of Mark begins with the prophetic voice of John the Baptist resounding in the desert, like the roar of a lion.

Price: € 1,800 per pair or € 1,100 per unit