Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem)

T'oros the Deacon Armenian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 303


Displayed on the wall above, these four recently discovered images are from the Gospel Book of 1311 in this case. They were originally part of the manuscript’s now dispersed cycle of images of the life of Christ. Narrative cycles were often included at the beginning of Armenian manuscripts. The painter, T‘oros the deacon, uniquely chose to use indigo and ultramarine blue paints for his figures’ skin tones.

Starting from the left, the four scenes from the life of Christ are the Presentation to the Temple, with Simeon holding the Christ Child under a ciborium with the temple veil; the Baptism, with Christ partially submerged in the River Jordan; the Transfiguration, with Christ standing on Mount Tabor flanked by the prophets Moses and Elijah; and the Entry into Jerusalem, with Christ approaching the city shown as a church with a pointed dome like those on Armenian churches.

Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian

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The Presentation in the Temple

Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian
Four miniatures of the life of Christ from a gospel book of 1311 (Presentation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem), T'oros the Deacon (Armenian, act. late 13th–early 14th century), Ink and pigments on oriental paper, Armenian

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