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A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek tetra, meaning four, and morph, shape.
The word comes from the Greek language for "four forms" or "shapes". In English usage, each symbol may be described as a tetramorph in the singular, and a group as "the tetramorphs", but usually only in contexts where all four are included. The tetramorphs were especially common in Early Medieval art, above all in illuminated , but remain common in religious art to the present day.
In Christian art, the tetramorph is the union of the symbols of the Four Evangelists, derived from the four living creatures in the Book of Ezekiel, into a single figure or, more commonly, a group of four figures. Each of the four Evangelists is associated with one of the living creatures, usually shown with wings. The most common association, but not the original or only, is: St Mark the King, Lion; St Luke the lowly Servant, Ox; St Matthew the Angel; and John the Eagle. In Christian art and iconography, Evangelist portraits are often accompanied by tetramorphs, or the symbols alone used to represent them. Evangelist portraits that depict them in their human forms are often accompanied by their symbolic creatures, and Christ in Majesty is often shown surrounded by the four symbols.
The animals associated with the Christian tetramorph originate in the Babylonian symbols of the four fixed signs of the zodiac: the ox representing Taurus; the lion representing Leo; the eagle representing Scorpio; the man or angel representing Aquarius. In Western astrology, the four symbols are associated with the elements of, respectively Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. The creatures of the Christian tetramorph were also common in Egyptian, Greek mythology, and Assyrian mythology. The early Christians adopted this symbolism and adapted it for the four Evangelists”Four Evangelists (Tetramorphs)”. Symboldictionary. http://symboldictionary.net/?p=486 as the tetramorph, which first appears in Christian art in the 5th century,Clement, Clara Erskine. Saints in Art. Gale Research Company, 1974, p. 34. but whose interpretative origin stems from Irenaeus in the 2nd century.
The elements of the Christian tetramorph first appear in the vision of Ezekiel, who describes the four creatures as they appear to him in a vision:
They are described later in the Book of Revelation:
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| Pseudo-Athanasius (c. 350) Synopsis scripturae sacrae (PG 28.432.39-51) | John |
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It is clear from the table that various interpretive schemes have been followed through church history. The five main schemes are summarized below with a representative proponent and rationale. The given rationale usually has to do with how each Gospel begins, major themes in each Gospel, or the aspect of Christ emphasized in each Gospel.
1st scheme—Irenaeus
The man is Matthew, because his Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus; the lion is John, because his Gospel begins full of confidence; the ox is Luke, because his Gospel begins with priestly sacrifice; and the eagle is Mark, because his Gospel begins with the prophecy of Isaiah. Irenaeus originates this connection between the four living creatures and the four evangelists because he is looking for an answer to the question "Why four Gospels?"
2nd scheme (most common)—Jerome
The rationale given for this scheme is how each Gospel narrative begins. Matthew is the man because he begins with a genealogy; Mark is the lion, roaring in the desert with prophetic power; Luke is the ox, because he begins with temple sacrifice; and John is the eagle, flying heavenwards like the divine Word. It must be said that at a certain point, once enough interpretive authorities in the church backed this scheme, many who followed simply defaulted to their authority.
3rd scheme—Augustine
The lion is Matthew, because Matthew's Gospel depicts Christ royal character, he who descended from the tribe of Judah; the ox is Luke, because Christ is shown in his priestly character; the man is Mark, because of the humanity of Christ shown in that Gospel focusing on the things the man did; and the eagle is John, because the mystery of the Word ascends to heaven. Augustine departs from Jerome's scheme saying, "This latter formulation focuses only on the beginnings of the books and not on the overall plan of the evangelists, which is what should have been examined more thoroughly."Augustine, Agreement among the Evangelists, I,6,9
4th scheme—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
The lion is Matthew, because Matthew portrays the Lord Jesus as the King; the ox is Mark, because Mark portrays Him as a servant; the man is Luke, because Luke portrays Him as a perfect, genuine man; the eagle is John, because John portrays Him as God. This view takes the creatures as symbols of "not the personal character of the Evangelists, but the manifold aspect of Christ... presented by them severally."Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Commentary, 565: "The Fathers identified them with the four Gospels, Matthew the lion, Mark the ox, Luke the man, John the eagle: these symbols, thus viewed, express not the personal character of the Evangelists, but the manifold aspect of Christ in relation to the world… presented by them severally: the lion expressing royalty, as Matthew gives prominence to this feature of Christ; the ox, laborious endurance, Christ's prominent characteristic in Mark; man, brotherly sympathy with the whole race of man, Christ's prominent feature in Luke; the eagle, soaring majesty, prominent in John's description of Christ as the Divine Word… The redeemed election-Church similarly, when in and through Christ (with whom she shall reign) she realizes the ideal of man, shall combine in herself human perfections having a fourfold aspect: (1) kingly righteousness with hatred of evil and judicial equity, answering to the 'lion'; (2) laborious diligence in every duty, the 'ox'; (3) human sympathy, the 'man'; (4) the contemplation of heavenly truth, the 'eagle.'"
5th scheme—Aimee Semple McPherson
The Eagle is Matthew, who presents Jesus as the King who will soon return to seek his people, Jesus Will Return; the ox is Luke, where he presents Jesus as the suffering servant who bore our sickness, Jesus Healing; The Face of Man (representing Mark) presents Jesus as the perfect man who came to save us, Jesus Saves; The Lion is John presents Jesus as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
The perfect human body of Christ was originally represented as a winged man, and was later adapted for St Matthew in order to symbolise Christ's humanity.Charbonneau-Lassay, Louis. The Symbolic Animals of Christianity. Stuart & Watkins, 1970. In the context of the tetramorphs, the winged man indicates Christ's humanity and reason, as well as Matthew's account of the Incarnation of Christ.Schuetz-Miller, Mardith K. “Survival of Early Christian Symbolism in Monastic Churches of New Spain and Visions of the Millennial Kingdom”. Journal of the Southwest. 42.4 (2000): 763-800. Print. The lion of St Mark represents courage, resurrection, and royalty, coinciding with the theme of Christ as king in Mark's gospel. It is also interpreted as the Lion of Judah as a reference to Christ's royal lineage. The ox, or bull, is an ancient Christian symbol of redemption and life through sacrifice, signifying Luke's records of Christ as a priest and his ultimate sacrifice for the future of humanity. The eagle represents the sky, heavens, and the human spirit, paralleling the divine nature of Christ.”Symbols of the Four Evangelists in Christian Art”. Sacred Destinations. .
In their earliest appearances, the Evangelists were depicted in their human forms each with a scroll or a book to represent the Gospels. By the 5th century, images of the Evangelists evolved into their respective tetramorphs. By the later Middle Ages, the tetramorph in the form of creatures was used less frequently. Instead, the Evangelists were often shown in their human forms accompanied by their symbolic creatures, or as men with the heads of animals.Tabon, Margaret. The Saints in Art. Gale Research Company, 1969, p. 72.
In images where the creatures surround Christ, the winged man and the eagle are often depicted at Christ's sides, with the lion and the ox positioned lower by his feet, with the man on Christ's right, taking precedence over the eagle, and the lion to the left of the ox. These positions reflect the medieval great chain of being.”Symbols of the Four Evangelists”. Sacred Destinations. .
Medieval churches also feature sculptures of bas-relief symbols of the Evangelists on western facades, externally around eastern apse windows, or as large statues atop apse walls. Generally all four creatures of the tetramorph will be found together in either one image or in one structure, but it is not unheard of to have a single Evangelist dominate the imagery of the church. This is usually found in cities that bear one of the Evangelists as their patron saint. A notable example is St Mark's Basilica in Venice, where the winged lion is the city's mascot and St Mark is the city's patron saint.
The Evangelists and tetramorphs were highly featured in Ottonian art manuscripts as the Gospel books, pericopes, and the Apocalypse were most popular. While they imitated the Byzantine artistic style, Carolingian art illuminations consciously revived the early Christian style, and was much more elaborate than Celtic or Insular art.
For most illuminated manuscript portraits, the Evangelist typically occupied a full page. Though numerous examples of Late Antiquity portraits featured each figure in a standing position, the Evangelists were predominantly depicted in a seated position at a writing desk or with a book or scroll, both in reference to the Gospels. The symbols of the tetramorphs were most common in the Middle Ages until the Romanesque art period before they fell out of favour and images of the Evangelists in their human forms became more common. However, the tetramorphs were still used and were found in artwork of the Renaissance and even in modern art. A notable 20th century example is the massive tapestry by Graham Sutherland which hangs in Coventry Cathedral.
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