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

edit
Image 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

edit

Hiberno-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.