The Apostle Luke was born into a pagan family in Antioch. From a young age, he studied medicine and philosophy and was fluent in Greek and Egyptian. Upon hearing about the teachings of Christ, Luke traveled to Palestine, where he became one of the Seventy Apostles of Jesus. After the Resurrection, Christ appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus—Cleopas and Luke (Lk. 24:13-33). Their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus, who asked why they were sorrowful. Together with Cleopas, Luke recounted their Teacher’s martyrdom, whom they had believed to be Israel’s redeemer, and the vision of the women who had seen angels at the tomb proclaiming Jesus was alive. After listening, Jesus explained to them the prophecies of Moses and the other prophets regarding Himself. Only when Jesus reclined with them for an evening meal, blessed and broke the bread, did they recognize Him, but He vanished from their sight. The two disciples then returned to Jerusalem and shared what they had seen with the other apostles. While Luke does not explicitly name himself in this scene, mentioning only Cleopas, it is presumed that he was the other disciple, as he is the sole narrator of this event.

Following the Ascension, Luke received the Holy Spirit and, during the early persecutions of Christians, returned to his native Antioch, where he preached alongside Paul, with whom he formed a close friendship. Luke accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. After Paul’s martyrdom, Luke continued his ministry in Thebes, where he was executed by being hanged from an olive tree.

The symbol of Luke as an evangelist is the winged ox, derived from the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel. In Jewish tradition, the ox symbolizes sacrifice, reflecting Luke’s focus in his Gospel on the sacrificial death of Jesus. Besides his Gospel, he authored the Acts of the Apostles.

According to tradition, Luke was the first iconographer, credited with painting the image of the Mother of God holding the Christ Child (Emmanuel), followed by two additional icons of the Theotokos. Seeking the Virgin Mary’s opinion on his works, Luke presented the icons to her, and she replied, “The grace of the One born of Me and My own grace shall be with these icons.” This apocryphal tradition likely arose because Luke, uniquely among the four evangelists, detailed Mary’s life before the birth of Jesus. Legend also holds that Luke painted icons of Peter and Paul.

Although not one of the Twelve Apostles, Luke is depicted in the apostolic tier of the iconostasis, in scenes of the Last Judgment, and elsewhere. As an evangelist, his image appears on church pendentives, Royal Doors, and Gospel frontispieces. Typically, he is portrayed wearing a blue chiton and a red himation, with a beard, of middle age, holding a Gospel book and writing tools.

Given that he is considered the first iconographer, Luke is often depicted as a painter creating an image of the Theotokos. These representations are richly detailed, providing valuable insights into the iconographic process of the era, such as materials, easels, furniture, and tools used. Some depictions include Luke’s apprentices grinding pigments. Occasionally, icons feature Luke with the facial characteristics of the iconographer, effectively serving as self-portraits. Such portrayals are identifiable by the distinct realism of the features and the direct, expressive gaze toward the viewer.

Mykhailo Skop

Icons of “Luke the Evangelist “

Icons of “Luke the Evangelist (The Artist)”