Natalia Goncharova (1881–1962), The Evangelists, 1911

The Russian avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova (1881–1962) frequently drew upon religious motifs in her artworks. Her mix of influences including elements of icons and woodcuts is apparent in this painting from 1911 which shows four of the evangelists. They are all represented in similar positions, holding empty rolls of parchment. The figures in this polyptych seem almost hunched in their respective frames, exuding a barely subdued strength.

Natalia Goncharova (1881–1962): The Evangelists, oil on canvas, 204 cm x 58 cm, 1911; source: https://rusmuseumvrm.ru/data/collections/painting/19_20/goncharova_ns_evangelisti_tetraptih_1911/, © The Virtual Russian Museum.