“The Calf of St. Luke,” created by Andrei Rublev around 1400 in Moscow, Russian Federation, is a miniature artwork associated with the Byzantine and Moscow school of icon painting movements. This piece is part of the esteemed series known as the Khitrovo Gospels and is currently housed in the Russian State Library in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork encapsulates a distinctive style characteristic of Byzantine iconography. Rendered on a small scale, it portrays a calf holding a book, a symbolic representation often associated with St. Luke the Evangelist in Christian art. The calf is depicted with a serene and expressive demeanor, surrounded by a circular red border embellished with decorative patterns. The primary color palette features gold, red, and muted shades of gray and brown, lending the piece an ethereal and sacred quality. The calf’s form, though simplified, is imbued with a sense of grace and dignity, adhering to the conventions of religious iconography of its time.
