Description
The Vault of the Four Evangelists occupies a central position both physically and symbolically within the decoration of the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi. Located above the crossing, it links the great narrative cycles of the transepts and apse through the authors of the Gospels, presented as the foundations of the universal dissemination of the Christian message.
Each section of the vault contains an Evangelist engaged in writing. Cimabue and his workshop accompany each figure not only with the traditional symbolic creature but also with an architectural representation of the region associated with his mission. Matthew is linked with Judea, John with Asia, Luke with Greece and Mark with Italy. The figures retain the solemn linear elegance of Italo-Byzantine painting, yet they possess increasing bodily weight.
