15. "St. Luke Painting Mary"

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"Luke Painting the First Image of Mary"

Oral tradition tells us that Luke painted the first image of Mary. The basis for this is that in his Gospel when describing the healing miracles of Jesus, he often gives details about the sickness. He was very knowledgeable about the body and is presumed to have been a physician.

A good physician at that time would have had artistic talents and training in sculpturing. Doctors were able to carve images on a sarcophagus and paint images as well.

The same Spirit that inspired Luke to write Acts and the Gospel, inspired him to paint Mary. This image, his face of Mary, became the face to be imitated by all subsequent painters in the Byzantine tradition.

Thank you, Luke, for sharing this image with us.