Variation on a Theme: Intertextuality in the Illuminations of the Gospel of Luke

Variation in music is a technique in which as-pects are altered slightly with repetition, woven through changes in melody, harmony, counterpoint, or rhythm. Variations on a theme have long played a part in classical compositions, yet the method of developing playful or serious variations to highlight or deepen aspects of a work’s main theme is not a concept limited to music; numerous visual artists have also worked to portray variations on a theme. A fascinating example of such visual variation-on-a-theme methodology is found in The Saint John’s Bible, a contemporary handwritten, illuminated manuscript. The illuminations from the Gospel of Luke in par-ticular present a visual intertextuality that functions “musically ” as variations on a theme that give an aes