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A Greek Gospelbook written in the Byzantine empire, perhaps at Constantinople, by Theophilus the ‘hieromonk’ (a hieromonk is both a monk and a priest). Theophilus’ colophon dates the completion of the manuscript to 30 May 1285. This image shows St Mark, against a gold background, writing the beginning of his Gospel in a book. He writes with the book on his lap, rather than on the desk, a position seen in other Byzantine author-portraits. The illumination in this book is typical of the last phase of Byzantine book-painting: although it is a revival of the style of painting seen in the Byzantine golden age, some naturalistic tendencies have also crept in, presumably from the Western influence of the Crusaders. The tone of these paintings is often characterized as brooding and intense, and can perhaps be linked with the resurgence of devotional feeling as the empire began to shrink under pagan attack.
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