St. Mark

This panel, part of a four panel relief is representing St Mark and is made circa between 1830-40 in Germany.

Although the carver rendered the hands and faces of the Evangelists more or less skillfully, other elements such as the ox, the piles of books, the tracery, and even the schematic drapery are relatively clumsily carved. For these reasons it may be suggested that the four reliefs were made in the first half of the 19th century. They were perhaps historicizing pieces, possibly made in about 1830-40 in a workshop which was highly receptive to the neo-Gothic style, perhaps to decorate a pulpit (as would have been appropriate for these subjects), and quickly removed from their original context, or never used.

Alternatively the present pieces may have been made to deceive, and sold by an unscrupulous dealer as genuine 15th century pieces.