One of the standard illustrations in Medieval and later Gospel Books is the Evangelist Portrait. These portraits were almost always full page miniatures and were derived from the Late Antique tradition of author portraits such as those found in the Vergilius Romanus and the Vienna Dioscurides. Evangelist Portraits were often combined with a representation of their symbols. The Evangelists are often shown writing or holding a book or a scroll. All images unless otherwise noted are pigment on parchment.
Evangelist Portraits
editImage | Manscript | Institution | Shelfmark | Folio | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aachen Gospels | Aachen, Cathedral Treasury | s.n. | 13r | The Four Evangelists. 9th century. | ||
Ada Gospels | Trier, Staatsbibliothek | Cod.22 | 85v | Luke. Late 8th century. 14.5 by 9.625 inches. | ||
Ada Gospels | Trier, Staatsbibliothek | Cod.22 | Matthew. Late 8th century. 14.5 by 9.625 inches. | |||
Book of Deer | Cambridge University Library | MS. II.6.32 | 29v | Luke. 10th century. 54 mm by 107 mm. | ||
Book of Deer | Cambridge University Library | MS. II.6.32 | 1v | The Four Evangelists. 10th century. 54 mm by 107 mm. | ||
Book of Dimma | Dublin, Trinity College | MS.A.IV.23 | Evangelist portrait. 8th century. | |||
Book of Kells | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 58 | 28v | Matthew. Late 8th century. 330 by 250 mm. | ||
Book of Kells | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 58 | 291v | John. Late 8th century. 330 by 250 mm. | ||
Book of Mulling | Dublin, Trinity College Library | 193r | John. 8th century. | |||
Gospel Book | British Library | MS Add. 5111 | 12r | Matthew. 12th century miniature pasted into an earlier manuscript. 220 by 150 mm. | ||
Gospel Book | British Library | Add. MS 40618 | 21v | Luke. 8th century. 130 by 105 mm. | ||
Gospel Book | British Library | Add. MS 40618 | 22v | Luke. 10th century miniature added to 8th century manuscript. 130 by 105 mm. | ||
Lindisfarne Gospels | British Library | Cotton Nero D IV | 25v | Matthew. Late 7th or early 8th century. 340 x 250mm. | ||
Lorsch Gospels | Alba Julia, Batthyaneum Library | Matthew. Late 8th or early 9th century. | ||||
Lorsch Gospels | Alba Julia, Batthyaneum Library | Mark. Late 8th or early 9th century. | ||||
Lorsch Gospels | Vatican Library | Luke. Late 8th or early 9th century. | ||||
Lorsch Gospels | Vatican Library | John. Late 8th or early 9th century. | ||||
Peresopnytsia Gospel | Kiev, Natsional'na biblioteka Ukraïny | Luke. 1556-1561. | ||||
St. Augustine Gospels | Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Library | MS. 286 | 129v. | Luke. 6th century. | ||
Trebizond Gospel | St Petersburg, Russian National Library | Mark. 10th century. |
Evangelist Symbols
editHiberno-Saxon artists did not have a tradition of representation of the human form or of naturaliststic representation of animals prior to the conversion to Christianity. Many Hiberno-Saxon artists, rather than providing an Evangelist portrait would in its place provide a full page miniature of the Evangelist's symbol. A few manuscripts, notably the Book of Kells, were provided with full page miniatures of the Evagelist symbols and full page miniatures of the Evangelist themselves.
Image | Manscript | Institution | Shelfmark | Folio | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book of Cerne | Cambridge University Library | MS L1. 1. 10 | Lion, Symbol of Mark. Between 820 and 840. | |||
Book of Dimma | Dublin, Trinity College | MS.A.IV.23 | Eagle, Symbol of John. 8th century. | |||
Book of Dimma | Dublin, Trinity College | MS.A.IV.23 | Man, Symbol of Matthew. 8th century. | |||
Book of Durrow | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 57 | 21v | Man, Symbol of Matthew. 7th century. 247 by 228 mm. | ||
Book of Durrow | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 57 | 84v | Eagle Symbol of Mark (pre-Jerome tradition). 7th century. 247 by 228 mm. | ||
Book of Durrow | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 57 | 124v | Ox, symbol of Luke. 7th century. 247 by 228 mm. | ||
Book of Durrow | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 57 | 191v | Lion Symbol of John (pre-Jerome tradition). 7th century. 247 by 228 mm. | ||
Book of Kells | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 58 | 27v | Four Evangelists. Late 8th century. 330 by 250 mm. | ||
Book of Kells | Dublin, Trinity College Library | MS 58 | 290v | Four Evangelists. Late 8th century. 330 by 250 mm. | ||
Otho-Corpus Gospels | British Library | MS Cotton Otho C V | folio 27r (fragment) | Lion, Symbol of Mark. This manuscript was damaged in the Cotton library fire of 1731. | ||
Echternach Gospels | Bibliotheque Nationale | cod. lat. 9389 | Symbol of Mark. 8th century. |