Deutsch - Lukas der Evangelist - Walters 71139 (2)

St. Luke is seated at a lectern writing his Gospel, with his symbol, a winged ox, emerging from a cloud above. The abstract, linear quality of the drapery, with its zigzag folds, is characteristic of 11th-century style. This book-cover plaque originally would have been seen with plaques of the other three Evangelists, serving as "author portraits" for the Gospel texts. It may have been made in the same workshop as the ivories on the cover of the Mondsee Gospels (Walters W.8).

In artistic depictions, St. Luke is often shown holding an ox or with an ox nearby, as a symbol of his association with the Gospel of Luke and his devotion to Jesus and the Holy Family. The image of St. Luke with an ox is a reminder of the importance of sacrifice, devotion, and compassion in the Christian life.