The Four Gospels: An Armenian Masterwork

Admission is free.

The Four Gospels is a brilliant example of traditional Armenian manuscript illumination.

This beautiful book was written and painted by Mesrop of Xizan, one of the greatest Armenian artists, for a priest in New Julfa, Iran. It relays the life of Jesus written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Mesrop of Xizan was born in western Turkey. In the early 1600s, however, the Persian ruler Shah ‘Abbas I relocated Mesrop and thousands of other Armenians to New Julfa, a suburb of Isfahan, Iran. Located directly on the Silk Road, Isfahan was a cosmopolitan city and Mesrop created his own unique style there, drawing from both Armenian and Persian traditions.

Mesrop of Xizan, The Raising of Lazarus, from The Four Gospels, 1618-22. New Julfa, Iran, Safavid Dynasty. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, Gift of Lee Lyon in Memory of Joanne Lyon, 2015.27.13.