Seven reliefs, Flemish / Dutch

Seven reliefs
Flemish / Dutch
Around 1520/30
St. Tobias with the Archangel Raphael
St. Dionysius
St. Nicholas
St. John
St. Luke
St. Mark
Carved wood
Each height 100 cm, width 25 cm

Tobias, a figure from the Old Testament Book of Tobit, is often depicted in the company of the archangel Raphael. Typically, he is depicted traveling with a fish in his hand - a reference to the miraculous remedy obtained from its bile. Raphael, as the divine companion, usually appears as a young man with wings, a walking stick and a pilgrim's bag.
Dionysius was the first bishop of Paris and, according to legend, suffered martyrdom by beheading. Typical of his depiction is the so-called cephalophoria - he carries his own severed head in his hands.
The Bishop of Myra is one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. His attributes are the three golden balls (often also apples or loaves) - a reference to the legend in which he gave the dowry to three impoverished virgins - as well as the crosier and mitre.
John the Evangelist is usually depicted as a youthful man, often without a beard, with a chalice in his hand from which a snake emerges - a reference to the murder by poison that he survived. He may also be accompanied by the gospel book or the eagle (his evangelist symbol).
Luke, patron saint of painters and doctors, is usually shown with a book or a scroll and his evangelist symbol - a winged bull or ox.
Mark, the author of the oldest gospel, is closely associated with the lion as an evangelist symbol. It often appears with its mouth open, sometimes winged, and stands for courage and royal dignity. Mark himself is usually depicted with a book or scroll.