An Evangelist
- Artist: Italian, Umbrian
- Date: mid-14th century
- Medium: fresco with areas of secco, transferred to canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "An Evangelist" painted in the Italian north. The artist behind it is believed to be from Umbria and has been attributed to the so-called Master of San Crispino, who decorated a church at Assisi in the 1330s.
As you can see, this painting depicts one of the four Evangelists, the authors of the Gospels. We're not entirely sure which one it is meant to be. The style and period suggest that it was created in the first half of the fourteenth century.
What's quite unique about this piece is that it's a fresco, meaning it was painted directly on the wall of a building. The areas where you see some detail have been transferred to canvas, but the rest remains an original fresco.
This "An Evangelist" is one of three fragments possibly taken from the Palazzo del Podesta in Assisi. They may have once framed a larger composition, giving us a glimpse into what was likely a grand piece of art at one point.
See it in person
An Evangelist hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
