Bolognese school first half of the seventeenth century - Saint Mark the Evangelist. Likely painted by an artist in the circle of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Il Guercino (Cento, 1591 - Bologna, 1666).This fine and sensitively rendered circular oil on canvas dates to the first half of the seventeenth century and depicts Saint Mark the Evangelist half -length and facing to the right, almost in profile. He holds the open gospel in both hands and to his left is the lion of St. Mark.The lion is connected to Saint Mark as according to legend as Mark was seeking refuge form a storm in Venice, he was visited in a dream by an angel in the form of a winged lion. The lion exclaimed in Latin ‘ Pax tibi Marce Evangelsta meus, hic requiescet corpus tuum’ / Peace to you Mark my Evagnelist. The saint is depicted as a handsome young man with thick tumbling curly hair and a lustrous beard which is handled deftly with free brushstrokes akin to the style of Guido Reni. His slashed tu...