Gero Codex Sheet 4 – Saint Luke the Evangelist
Illuminated double-sided map from the Hiero Codex, an Ottonian manuscript from Reichenau, with gold decorations – UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Gero Codex Sheet 4 – Saint Luke the Evangelist is a double-sided illuminated card taken from a limited and numbered edition reproduction of the Hiero Codex, one of the most important Ottonian manuscripts produced in Reichenau in the 10th century. The original manuscript, also known as the Gero Codex, was produced in the scriptorium of Reichenau Abbey on Lake Constance, one of the great centers of medieval European illumination. The original is now preserved at the University and State Library of Darmstadt, Germany, with the shelfmark Hs. 1948. The codex belongs to the group of Ottonian illuminated manuscripts from Reichenau recognized as a UNESCO Memory of the World documentary heritage. This card reproduces folio 4 of the manuscript: on one side a precious text page with gold writing on a purple-brown background, on the other a full-page miniature with Saint Luke the Evangelist, seated on a throne, with a book, pen and evangelical symbol.Want more information about this product? Click here and fill out the form to be contacted by one of our curators.
149,00 €
- Description
Description
How paper is made
The card is decorated on both sides and presents a rich, solemn, and highly evocative visual effect.
The front side features a Latin text page with gold lettering on a purple-brown background. The text begins with the words “Lucas Syrus Antiochensis…”, a formula that harks back to the tradition of the Latin prologue to Luke and connects the card to the figure of Saint Luke the Evangelist.
The page is framed by an ornamental decoration with lateral bands, geometric motifs, interlacing, and gilded details. The effect recalls the more solemn pages of early medieval liturgical manuscripts, where the writing was not just text to be read, but also image, light, and ornament.
On the second side is a miniature of Saint Luke the Evangelist. The saint is depicted seated on a throne, with a halo, an open book, and a writing instrument. Above him appears the evangelical symbol, rendered in the stylized and exquisite style of medieval illumination.
The scene is enclosed within an arched architectural structure, with lateral columns, a deep blue background, vibrant colors, and gold trim. The alternating shades of purple, blue, orange, green, gray, and gold create an image of great decorative appeal.
The small chromatic irregularities, the shading and the visible stains are part of the rendering of the ancient parchment support reproduced and contribute to the historical and collectible character of the paper.
Why this sheet is special
Folio 4 of the Gero Codex is particularly interesting because it combines two fundamental aspects of medieval book culture: the portrait of the evangelist and the Latin textual page.
Saint Luke is not depicted as a generic figure, but as a sacred author, a man of words, writing, and inspiration. He is seated on a throne, surrounded by an architectural frame, with the book before him and his pen poised to record the text.
The textual aspect reinforces this identification. The incipit, “Lucas Syrus Antiochensis…”, introduces the Latin tradition linked to Luke, remembered as a Syrian from Antioch and a physician. Text and image engage in a dialogue: on the one hand, the written word, on the other, the figure of the evangelist who transmits that word.
This makes the paper ideal for those who appreciate not only the decorative beauty of illuminated manuscripts, but also their symbolic meaning. In medieval codices, every detail counts: the color, the gesture, the book, the symbolic animal, the frame, the position of the figure.
The connection to Reichenau, the preservation of the original in Darmstadt, the UNESCO recognition and the provenance from a limited and numbered edition of 199 copies increase the historical and collectors’ interest of this card.
Who is it recommended for?
This card is ideal for those who love illuminated manuscripts, medieval art, Christian spirituality and the history of books.
It is particularly suitable for collectors, scholars, medieval enthusiasts, lovers of sacred art and people who wish to tastefully furnish a study, a library, a professional office or an elegant home environment.
It is also an excellent gift idea for those who appreciate cultured, refined objects capable of telling a story.
The side with Saint Luke the Evangelist has a strong iconographic and decorative impact. The side with the golden Latin text on a purple background offers a more graphic, sober, and meditative solution, perfect for those who appreciate the beauty of ancient script.
Product data sheet
- Reference work: Gero Codex / Hiero Codex
- Sheet: 4
- Main subject: Saint Luke the Evangelist
- Visible Latin text: incipit of the prologue to Luke, “Lucas Syrus Antiochensis…”
- Origin of the original: Reichenau Abbey, Lake Constance, 10th century
- Conservation of the original: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt, Germany
- Signature of the original: Hs. 1948
- Recognition: UNESCO Memory of the World documentary heritage
- Type: high quality modern reproduction paper
- Edition: limited and numbered to 199 copies
- Dimensions: approx. 22 x 30 cm
- Decoration: front and back
- Visual rendering: parchment effect, Latin text, purple-brown background, polychrome colors and golden details
- Main elements: St. Luke enthroned, halo, book, pen, evangelical symbol, architectural frame, Latin text, gold, deep blue and purple
- Condition: new
- Warranty: 24 months
- Accessories: certificate, storage instructions, brief description
- Price: €149.00
Why collect it?
The Gero Codex Sheet 4, Saint Luke the Evangelist, is a paper of great historical, artistic and symbolic charm.
On the one hand, it preserves the graphic power of Latin script in gold on a purple background; on the other, it shows Saint Luke seated on a throne, with book and pen, immersed in the precious light of Ottonian miniature.
Its origins date back to the Reichenau scriptorium; the original manuscript is now kept in Darmstadt, and the codex is part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Heritage. Produced in a limited and numbered edition of 199 copies, this paper is ideal for collectors, medieval enthusiasts, lovers of illuminated manuscripts, and anyone who wishes to bring a fragment of Europe’s great beauty into their home or study.
Buy it now for €149.00 and add to your collection a precious card inspired by one of the masterpieces of Ottonian miniature painting.
FAQ – Gero Codex Sheet 4
The Gero Codex, or Hiero Codex, is a 10th-century Ottonian illuminated manuscript, created in the scriptorium of Reichenau Abbey, one of the most important artistic and monastic centers of medieval Europe.
Sheet 4 features on one side a Latin text page with gold writing on a purple-brown background and on the other a miniature with Saint Luke the Evangelist, seated on a throne, with a book, pen and evangelical symbol.
The identification comes mainly from the visible Latin text, which begins “Lucas Syrus Antiochensis…” This incipit harks back to the tradition of the Latin prologue to Luke and directly links the sheet to the figure of the evangelist.
No. The sheet is not a medieval original. It is a map taken from a high-quality modern reproduction of the Gero Codex, produced in a limited and numbered edition.
Yes. The card comes from a limited and numbered edition of 199 copies, which increases its collector’s interest.
The original manuscript is preserved at the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt, Germany, with shelfmark Hs. 1948.
Yes. The Gero Codex belongs to the group of Ottonian illuminated manuscripts produced in Reichenau recognized in the UNESCO Memory of the World register, dedicated to the documentary heritage of humanity.
Yes. It is particularly suitable for framing. The side with Saint Luke the Evangelist is rich, luminous, and dramatic; the side with the gold text on a purple background is elegant, graphic, and contemplative.
Because it allows you to experience one of the masterpieces of Ottonian miniature painting through an accessible, refined, and collectible object. The sheet combines sacred imagery, Latin script, gold, color, and historical memory.
3 Liber Abaci papers: Folio 2 - 4 - 124