‘And their eyes were opened and they recognised him’ (Luke 24:31). Today, the Church celebrates Saint Luke, traditionally honoured not only as an Evangelist, but also as the patron saint of artists. This seventeenth-century engraving of Saint Luke, made in 1653 by the English engraver William Faithorne (c. 1620–1691), offers a fitting meditation on that association. We see Luke depicted with the tools of a painter, working on an image of the Virgin and Child, with the ox beside him: the traditional emblem of the third Evangelist. The portrayal of Saint Luke painting Our Lady and Christ has a rich history in the art of Christendom. In this motif, Luke may be understood to embody the conviction that the making of an image can itself become an act of devotion: a means of contemplating and honouring the sacred. Faithorne’s engraving invites us to contemplate Luke the Evangelist and to honour him as the patron saint of artists, thereby bringing together two forms of creation: the written word and the visual image. The inscription beneath the figure describes Luke as ‘The holy Artist with Inspired Pen’. Thus, on the Feast of Saint Luke, we may use such images to reflect upon the relationship between art and faith, between seeing and understanding. Though our eyes are drawn to paper marked by words or images, our minds are invited to contemplate that which lies beyond. #StLuke #Feast #ChristianArt #ArtHistory

A small glimpse of the rich beauty within Shrewsbury’s St Mary’s Church. Looking up towards the ceiling, I was struck by the sight of these three distinct architectural features, all contained within a single frame. At the centre stand the sweeping, round-headed arches of the nave arcade, with their carefully worked stone mouldings and clustered shafts crowned with foliate capitals. To one side of the arcade, dark timber beams have their simplicity punctuated by golden ornaments. Beyond the great stone arches lies one of St Mary’s celebrated treasures: the nave’s fifteenth-century carved oak ceiling. Even from this partial glimpse of its richly patterned panels, curved crossbeams, and intricate carvings of angels and animals, its magnificence is striking. Perhaps it is the transition between these different colours, materials and styles that I find so beautiful: from the simplicity of the dark timber to the cool tones of the stone arcade, its appearance softened by the skill of medieval masons, and finally through to the warm, almost glowing oak beyond. Each element has its own character, yet together they create a wonderful display of craftsmanship and history. #ChurchArchitecture #Shrewsbury