St Luke painting the Virgin

St Luke was one of the four evangelists. He was by profession thought to have been a painter and he became the patron saint of painters. The legend grew that Luke had painted the Virgin Mary and this episode is depicted here. The icon is double sided, and on the back is the prophet Daniel. The Bible relates that he was placed in a cell full of lions by the Persian king Darius and miraculously survived. The painter of this icon may have been an Italian artist working in Crete, or in Macedonia.