Saint Luke the Evangelist is traditionally regarded as the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, making him the principal historian of the early Church in the New Testament. His writings emphasise themes of mercy, compassion, and the universality of salvation, and provide the most detailed narrative of the early Christian community.

Early Christian tradition identifies Luke as a physician and a close companion of St Paul, ⓘ accompanying him on missionary journeys. He is widely believed to have been a Gentile convert, which shaped his distinctive theological outlook and his emphasis on Christianity’s appeal beyond the Jewish world. According to later tradition, Luke lived to an advanced age and died peacefully, possibly in Greece, rather than suffering martyrdom.

St Luke the Evangelist in Art

Saint Luke the Evangelist appears in Christian art primarily as an evangelist and author of the Gospel. He is most commonly depicted writing or holding his Gospel and is traditionally accompanied by his symbolic attribute, the ox or calf, derived from early Christian interpretations of his Gospel’s opening emphasis on sacrifice.

From the medieval period onward, Luke also became associated with the tradition that he painted the first icon of the Virgin Mary, ⓘ leading to his frequent depiction as a painter at an easel. This association made him the patron saint of artists and linked his cult closely to Marian imagery. His iconography reflects both his literary authority and his enduring influence on Christian visual cult.