Johannes de Evangelist 1541

Sebald Beham made this engraving of Johannes de Evangelist sometime between 1500 and 1550. The image depicts John with an eagle, his traditional attribute, writing in a book. Produced in Germany, this small print reflects the religious and intellectual climate of the Reformation. Beham was one of the so-called “Little Masters,” a group of printmakers known for their small-scale, detailed engravings. This was a period of religious upheaval, with new ideas circulating widely through printed pamphlets and books. Printmaking became an important medium for disseminating both religious and secular imagery. The figure of the evangelist embodies the period’s focus on the authority of the biblical text. The act of writing and interpreting scripture was central to Protestant theology. Understanding this print requires attention to the history of religious thought. Scholars consult theological texts, social histories, and the biographies of artists like Beham to understand the complex interplay of art, religion, and society in 16th-century Germany.