Single Leaf from a Gospel Book with a Portrait of Saint Luke
Unknown Artist
c. 1440–80
Medium
ink and tempera on vellum
Dimensions
37 × 25 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1999.212
About this artwork
Gospels are important Christian texts recounting the life of Christ, written by four disciples known as the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Gospel manuscripts across the medieval Christian world placed their portraits before their writings. This Ethiopian example shows Saint Luke, seated and holding writing accessories. Scholars associate the elongated face and supple lines of his garments with the Gundä Gunde Monastery in the northern Tigray region, well known for its artistic produ...