About the Work
Mark’s robes spread out around him in fanciful folds that occupy a large proportion of this depiction’s lower half. They create an ornamental, planar effect reminiscent of the metal engraving work carried out by goldsmiths. The compositions by the Master E.S. frequently exhibit two-dimensional-looking decorative effects of this kind. It is quite likely that he was originally a trained goldsmith, and thus skilled in the very craft from which the engraving technique had evolved.