The Four Gospels

A full-page illustration depicts the Evangelist Luke. The saint appears as an elderly man with a grey beard and balding head, sitting on a low, ornate wooden bench with a red cushion. He wears a blue tunic original: "chiton" with red bands on the sleeves and a large purple mantle original: "himation". He leans over a book balanced on his knees, holding a pen. To his right, a complex wooden writing desk holds a tall lectern. A long scroll of parchment hangs from the lectern, covered in Greek writing. A small white inkwell sits on a shelf within the desk. To the left, a structure like a table or altar stands on two thin, dark, decorative columns. The background is solid gold leaf. The miniature is framed by a mosaic pattern of red, white, and blue diamonds, with floral ornaments at the corners.

The face of the central figure is heavily damaged or worn away. The colors of the border and the parchment show signs of age and staining.

This portrait shows the Evangelist as a scribe at work. He sits on a carved wooden bench with a footstool. He wears a pale blue-grey tunic and a darker mantle. He writes in an open book. Beside him is a desk with writing tools and an inkwell. A lectern holds another open book. In the background, a stylized building or screen has a red curtain hanging from it. The solid gold background indicates a sacred setting. A faint halo is visible. The border uses a geometric pattern in blue and red-brown tones.

The text within the book held by the figure is highly stylized and partially obscured by the small scale of the miniature.

[Text within the book held by the figure]

The Gospel?
according?
to...?
original: "ευαγγέλιον κ..." (euangelion k...). This is a standard opening for the Gospels.

Since...?
original: "ἐπειδήπερ" (epeidēper). This is the likely start of the Gospel of Luke, which begins: "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative."