Luke for Lent - Part 1 of 7

The Lenten season, a time for fasting and abstinence, can also be a time for prayer and reflection. As the Gospel According to Luke has many unique parables, teachings, and narrative episodes, Lent seems like the ideal time to have a look at a few paintings inspired by some of these passages.

Title: Annunciation to the Shepherds

Artist: Adam Pynacker

Medium: Oil on Panel

Size: 38.7 cm

Date: ca. 1640

Location: The Legion of Honor, San Francisco.

Luke 2:8-15: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Although the Nativity narrative is also found in Matthew, the details of each account differ. Unique to Luke is the inclusion on the annunciation to the shepherds. Whereas Matthew records the recognition of Jesus by Magi, men of high reputation and standing, Luke describes the visit of shepherds, people of low esteem. Because their work prevented them from keeping the ceremonial law, shepherds were a despised class. Often regarded as thieves, they were considered unreliable and not allowed to give evidence in court. This is the beauty of Luke's gospel: God puts equal importance on each of us no matter our present station. Note as well that the angel calls Jesus “Savior”, one of only two times this word is used in reference to Jesus in all four Gospels (cf. John 4:42), a most outstanding term to be used for a new baby.

Adam Pynacker (1622 - 1673) was a Dutch landscape painter, active mainly in Delft and in Amsterdam. Having spent some time in Italy, he was one of the outstanding Dutch exponents of Italianate landscapes. In 1658 he converted to Catholicism in order to marry Eva Maria de Geest, daughter of renowned Dutch painter Wybrand de Geest. Pynacker’s style resembles that of Jan Both and Jan Asselyn, but his mature work often has a distinctive and attractive silvery tonality all his own, perfect for capturing the nocturnal arrival of an angel of the Lord.

St. Matthew

Title: St. Matthew
Artist: Unknown
Medium: Ink and tempera on vellum
Size: 26 x 14.9 cm
Date: c. 816-41
Location: Bibliothéque Municipale, Épernay.

St. Matthew, the son of Alpheus (Mark 2:13-17) was a Galilean, although Eusebius informs us that he was from Syria. A tax-gatherer at Capernaum, he collected custom duties for Herod Antipas, and, although a Jew, was despised by his own kind who hated all publicans. When summoned by Jesus, Matthew arose and followed, and tendered him a feast in his house where Christ and His disciples sat with tax-gatherers and sinners. This drew forth a protest from the Pharisees whom Jesus rebuked: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners".

The Ebbo Gospels is an early Carolingian illuminated Gospel book known for an unusual, energetic style of illustration. The book was produced in the ninth century at the Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers, near Reims, France. The illustration style has its roots in late classical painting as demonstrated by the illusionistic style of the background landscapes. Greek artists fleeing the Byzantine iconoclasm of the 8th century brought this style to Aachen and Reims. The vibrant emotionalism, however, was new to Carolingian art and also distinguishes the Ebbo Gospels from classical art. Figures in the Ebbo Gospels are represented in nervous, agitated poses, the illustration using an energetic, streaky style with swift brush strokes. The style directly influenced manuscript illumination for decades.

St. Matthew the evangelist is traditionally depicted sitting at his desk, writing his gospel with an angel either guiding his hand or holding the inkwell. The Ebbo Gospels, however, render St. Matthew as the primary focus, furiously writing and holding his own inkwell, his angelic assistant in the distant background to the upper right of the image.