object
Book
Second Gospel—lion supporter in Venetian iconography.
Iconography & biography archive
Era: 1st century · Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria (trad.)Feast: April 25Category: Apostles
Sources: Mark’s Gospel; Papias on Mark as Peter’s interpreter; Venetian state cult.
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Browse depictions8 works
Selected depiction
Saint Mark (Hausbuch Master - Gospel Book with Evangelist Portra)
Wikimedia Commons
Apostles
Saint Mark
Saint Mark the Evangelist
Feast: April 25
Intermediate difficulty
the evangelist—winged lion of Venice—writes the Gospel of action and missionary urgency.
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Iconographic Attributes
Symbols that identify this saint in sacred art
object
Book
Second Gospel—lion supporter in Venetian iconography.
symbol
Sacred Halo
Divine or sanctified light around the head
clothing
Apostolic Robes
Garments of the Twelve or evangelists
object
Scroll
Author of the Gospel
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Iconographic Field Guide
How to read Saint Mark in paintings, sculpture, and altarpieces
Winged lion with book is civic as well as sacred—Piazza San Marco floods the memory. Lion may hold Venetian gospels in political art. In four-evangelist sets, lion always = Mark; do not assign lion to other saints except rare allegories.
symbol
Sacred Halo
Divine or sanctified light around the head
clothing
Apostolic Robes
Garments of the Twelve or evangelists
object
Scroll
Author of the Gospel
Typical vesture
- —apostolic robes
Color conventions
Artists often dress Saint Mark in red, gold—these hues are not rigid rules but long-standing conventions that help recognition in polyptychs and chapel cycles.
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Visual Gallery
Selected depictions of Saint Mark from verified sources
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark (Hausbuch Master - Gospel Book with Evangelist Portra)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (Byzantine Gospel Book)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (Grandes Heures)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (Mantegna)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (Mantegna)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark with lion symbol (MET sculpture)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (Bowyer Bible)
Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Saint Mark the Evangelist (MET print)
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Biographical Archive
Life, witness, and historical framing
lion guards a republic as well as a altar. Learn him through Venice’s mosaics and through the standard tetramorph: angel Matthew, lion Mark, ox Luke, eagle John—fixed since patristic exegesis.
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Visual Recognition Guide
Clues ordered for museum identification
1.Winged lion
Symbol of the Evangelist Mark
2.Book or scroll
Author of the Gospel
3.Quill and desk
Evangelist writing
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Patronage and Devotion
Why communities invoke this figure
Venicenotariessecretarieslion keepers
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Distinguishing Similar Figures
Avoid common misidentifications in galleries
Often confused with Saint Luke: Both evangelists with animal symbols
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Notes from the Archive
Scholarly curiosities and cult details
- ✝The lion of Saint Mark is the symbol of the Republic of Venice
At a glance
- Feast
- April 25
- Category
- Apostles
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Patron of
- Venicenotariessecretarieslion keepers
Life & legacy
Mark’s lion guards a republic as well as a altar. Learn him through Venice’s mosaics and through the standard tetramorph: angel Matthew, lion Mark, ox Luke, eagle John—fixed since patristic exegesis.
Curiosities
- The lion of Saint Mark is the symbol of the Republic of Venice
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