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| Jean Bourdichon, Saint Luke From the Grandes heures de Anne de Bretagne French (Tours), c. 1503-1508 Paris Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 9479, fol. 19v |
October 18 is the feast day of Saint Luke, the Evangelist, author of the third Synoptic Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles.
“Early
Christian tradition, from the late second century on, identifies the author of
this gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles as Luke, a Syrian from Antioch, who
is mentioned in the New Testament in Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24 and 2 Timothy
4:11.
The prologue of the gospel makes it clear that Luke is not part of the
first generation of Christian disciples but is himself dependent upon the
traditions he received from those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the
word (Luke 1:2).
His two-volume work marks him as someone who was highly
literate both in the Old Testament traditions according to the Greek versions
and in Hellenistic Greek writings.”
“Because of its
dependence on the Gospel of Mark and because details in Luke’s Gospel (Luke
13:35a; 19:43–44; 21:20; 23:28–31) imply that the author was acquainted with
the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, the Gospel
of Luke is dated by most scholars after that date; many propose A.D. 80–90 as
the time of composition.”
,%20964_Paris,%20Bibliotheque%20nationale%20de%20France_MS%20Grec%2070,%20fol.%20190v_1.jpg) |
| Saint Luke From a Gospel Book Byzantine (Constantinople), 964 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Grec 70, fol. 190v |
“Luke’s consistent substitution of Greek names for the Aramaic or Hebrew…, his omission from the gospel of specifically Jewish Christian concerns …, his interest in Gentile Christians…, and his incomplete knowledge of Palestinian geography, customs, and practices are among the characteristics of this gospel that suggest that Luke was a non-Palestinian writing to a non-Palestinian audience that was largely made up of Gentile Christians.”1
Traditionally, Saint Luke has been venerated as one of the four Gospel authors. Like the other three evangelists he is also represented by one of the four winged creatures from the vision of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5-11). In the case of Luke his symbol is the ox. In the ancient world (and in some places even today) the ox (a castrated bull) was both an animal for hard draught work, pulling heavy loads and the plow, but also the ultimate animal for sacrifice. Thus, Luke is associated with the patience of the draught animal and the sacrificial aspects of Christ’s life.
,%20c.%20845-851_Paris,%20BNF_MS%20Latin%201,%20fol.%20329v_3.jpg) |
| Christ in Majesty Surrounded by the Four Evangelists From the Premiere Bible of Charles the Bald, Known as the Vivien Bible French (Tours), c. 845-851 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 1, fol. 329v Saint Luke is the figure at the bottom right. His symbol, the winged ox, is looking directly at him. |
Saint Paul mentions Luke is several of his Epistles and in one, Letter to the Colossians, Paul tells his correspondents that “Luke the beloved physician sends greetings” (Colossians 4:14). Consequently, Luke is believed to have been a Greek-trained physician, traveling in the company of Saint Paul.
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| Enameled Medallion with Saint Luke Byzantine (Constantinople), c. 1100 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Luke is also the Gospel writer whom we associate most intimately with Christmas for it is he whose voice we hear every time that the Christmas story is told. Luke begins his Gospel (after a short introduction to a person named Theophilus) with the events leading up to the birth of Jesus, starting with the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to John’s father Zechariah. The details of the story, which Luke promised Theophilus he had investigated “everything accurately anew” (Luke 1:3) have led to the tradition that Luke was in contact with the Blessed Virgin Mary, probably in her later home at Ephesus.
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| Jacques de Besancon, Saint Luke From Legenda aurea by Jacobus de Voragine French (Paris), c. 1480-1490 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 245, fol. 141v |
This, in turn, led to a pious tradition, which dates back to eighth century Byzantium, that Luke, in addition to his medical skills, was an artist and that he painted the first icon of the Virgin Mary from life. By the middle ages this tradition had spread to the West as well and was widely depicted. It became especially prominent during the Renaissance period, when artists began to attempt to raise their own social standing. Guilds dedicated to Saint Luke were formed in nearly every large city. The guilds were somewhat like trade unions. However, in addition to building chapels and meeting places for themselves, they also established training programs for aspiring artists, some of which survive to the present day. Frequently, they patronized images of Saint Luke Painting the Virgin for their chapels and guildhalls, as a visible reminder that they were privileged by tradition to depict sacred things, following the example of Saint Luke.
The Iconography of Saint Luke
The Iconography of Saint Luke divides into several forms. The earliest and most common is that of the evangelist.
Saint Luke as One of the Four Evangelists
Saint Luke may be depicted as an evangelist alone, but he is also frequently seen as one of the group of four. Indeed, some of what seem today to be solo pictures were actually once part of a group of evangelists, each given a separate picture, and now dispersed widely dispersed.
,%20c.%20879_Bayerische%20Staatsbibliothek_MS%20Clm%2014000,%20Image%2016.jpg) |
| Christ in Majesty From Codex Aureus of Saint Emmeram, German (Westphalia), c. 879 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek MS Clm 14000, Image 16 Here again Saint Luke is the figure at the bottom right. This time his ox symbol is depicted looking down at him. |
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| Christ in Majesty From the Gospels of the Sainte Chapelle German (Treves), c. 984 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 8851, fol. 1v Luke is onec again at the bottom right, with his symbol above him. |
,%201325-1350_Paris,%20Bibliotheque%20nationale%20de%20France_MS%20Francais%20251,%20fol.%2011r.jpg) |
| Richard de Montbaston, Christ in Majesty with the Four Evangelists From Histoire ancienne jusqu'a cesar French (Paris), c. 1325-1350 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 251, fol. 11r By this time the symbols of the evangelists have moved into greater proximity to the writing figures. |
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| Jean Colombe, The Four Evangelists From Vita Jesu Christi by Ludolph of Saxony French (Bourges), c. 1475-1500 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 179, fol. 211v |
Saint Luke as a Single Figure, the Evangelist Portrait
One of the most common ways in which Luke’s image was presented in the early middle ages was in the form of an evangelist “portrait” in the Bible. In these Bibles, often works of great beauty, produced for the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire in imperial workshops, the text of each of the Gospels was preceded by a “portrait” of the writer.
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| Saint Luke the Evangelist From a Gospel Book Irish, c. 750-800 London, British Library MS Additional 40618, fol. 21v |
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| Saint Luke the Evangelist From the Gospels of Saint-Medard de Soissons German (Aachen), c. 800 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 8850, fol. 123v |
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| Saint Luke the Evangelist From the Ebbo Gospels French, c. 816-835 Epernay, Bibliotheque municipale MS 1, fol. 90v |
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| Saint Luke the Evangelist From the Gospels of the Sainte Chapelle German (Treves), c. 984 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 8851, fol. 75v |
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Saint Luke Represented by the Ox
In addition, Luke may be represented in a picture or other type of artwork by his symbol, the ox that sometimes is winged, sometimes is not.
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| Beginning of the Gospel of Luke From the Royal Bible English (Canterbury), c. 800-850 London, British Library MS Royal 1 E VI, fol. 43r |
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| Plaque with Symbol of Saint Luke Mosan, c. 1150 Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Objets d'art du Moyen Age, de la Renaissance et des temps modernes |
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| Symbol of Saint Luke Italian (Venice), c. 1300 Boston, Museum of Fine Art |
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| Symbol of Saint Luke From a Book of Hours French, c. 1517-1527 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 1135, fol. 16r |
The ox is also frequently seen accompanying Luke in the evangelist portraits and in other similar images of Luke. Perhaps because of the four symbolic creatures the ox is the most familiar, being a common domestic animal, Luke’s ox was frequently depicted in an almost doglike role, more as a companion than as a sacred symbol. The ox is often depicted in poses reminiscent of dogs, seated at his master’s feet, or at his knee, or what appears to be playful interaction.
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| Saint Luke From a Bible Belgian (Brabant), 12th Century Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Ms reserve 591, 118v |
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| Saint Luke From The Worms Bible German (Middle Rhineland), c. 1150-1176 :London, British Library MS Harley 2804, fol. 199r |
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| Saint Luke From Images de la vie du Christ et des saints Flemish (Hainaut), c. 1285-1290 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 16251, fol. 74r |
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| Master of Jean de Papeleu, Saint Luke From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins French (Paris), c. 1300-1325 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 157, fol. 179r I suggest that you enlarge this picture (by clicking on it) so you can see the amusing expression on the face of the ox. |
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| Master of the Roman de Fauvel, Saint Luke_ From a Vie des saints French (Paris), c. 1300-1325 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 183, fol. 73v |
Saint Luke the Writer
Many images show Saint Luke in the act of writing.
,%201025-1050_Paris,%20Bibliotheque%20nationale%20de%20France_MS%20Latin%20275,%20fol.%2073v_1.jpg) |
| Saint Luke From a Gospel Book German (Mainz), c.1025-1050 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 275, fol. 73v |
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| Saint Luke From the Bible historiale of Guiard des Moulins French (Paris), c. 1300-1325 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France Francais 160, fol. 420v |
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| Saint Luke From the Hours of Charles VIII of France French, 15th Century Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de Espana MS MICRO 15141, fol. 8r, Imagr 22 |
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| Jean Poyet, Saint Luke From Hours of Henry VIII French (Tours), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS H8, fol. 9r |
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| Jean Bourdichon, Saint Luke From the Hours of Frederic of Aragon French (Tours), c. 1501-1504 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 10532, fol. 42 |
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| Simon Bening, Saint Luke From the DaCosta Hours Flemish (Bruges), c. 1510-1520 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M399, fol.113v |
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| Monogrammist M S, Saint Luke German, c. 1534 Private Collection |
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| Giogio Vasari, Saint Luke Italian, c. 1570-1571 Washington, National Gallery of Art |
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| Joachim Wteweal, Saint Luke Dutch, c. 1610-1615 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum |
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| Valentin de Boulogne, Saint Luke French, c. 1620 Versailles, Chateaux de Versailles et de Trianon |
Sometimes he is shown trimming his pen.
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| Giovanni di Benedetto and Collaborators, Saint Luke Trimming His Pen From a Book of Hours Italian (Milan), c. 1385-1390 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 757, fol. 206v |
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| Saint Luke Trimming His Pen From The Dunois Hours French (Paris), c.1440-1450 London, British Library MS Yates Thompson 3, fol. 15v |
Saint Luke as a Preacher
Occasionally he is depicted in preaching. |
| _Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Preaching From a Book of Hours French (Paris), c. 1500 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS H5, fol. 9r |
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| Saint Luke Teaching From the Bible historiale of Guiard des Moulins French (Paris), c.1400-1415 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 10, fol. 515v |
One rather unusual painting, from the late nineteenth century
shows Saint Luke, actually taking dictation from the Virgin Mary. This is the only image of this kind that I
have found.
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| Clement Oswald Skilbeck, Saint Luke Writing His Gospel at the Dictation of the Virgin Mary English, 1892 Bodmin (UK), Lanhydrock |
Saint Luke as a Painter
This subject became very popular during the later middle
ages and its popularity remained undimmed well into the nineteenth century. Most frequently Mary is seen holding the
Christ Child, but sometimes she is seen alone. Sometimes Luke is shown actually painting the image, at other times he holds it, as a kind of attribute by which he can be identified.
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| Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Mary From a Book of Hours French (Paris), 15th Century Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Nouvelle acquisition latine 3115, fol. 15v |
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| Saint Luke Painting the Virgin From a Book of Hours French (Paris), c. 1425-1430 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 453, fol. 14v |
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| Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Italian (Milan), c. 1430 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 944, fol. 75v |
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| Rogier van der Weyden, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin Flemish, c. 1435-1440 Boston, Museum of Fine Arts |
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| Ambrosius Benson (and Studio), Saint Luke Flemish, 1440s Private Collection |
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| Saint Luke Painting the Virgin From a Book of Hours Flemish (Bruges), c.1460 London, British Library MS Yates Thompson 4, fol. 14v |
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| Bartolomeo Caporali, Saints Francis, Herculanus, Luke and James the Greater Italian, c. 1450-1455 Saint Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum |
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| Dieric Bouts the Elder, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin Dutch, c. 1460-1475 Bangor (Wales), Penrhyn Castle |
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| Derick Baegert, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin German, c.1470 Muenster, Westfaelisches Landesmuseum |
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| Jean Colombe, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin From the Hours of Anne of France French (Bourges), c. 1473 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 677, fol . 29v |
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| Anonymous, Saint Luke Byzantine (Crete), 16th Century London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Jean Bourdichon, Saint Luke From the Hours of Frederic of Aragon French (Tours), c. 1501-1504 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 10532, fol. 354r |
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| Saint Luke Painting the Virgin From a Book of Hours French (Berry), c. 1510 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 250, fol. 17r |
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| Vincenzo Foppa, Saint Luke Italian, c. 1510-1520 Milan_San Maurizio al Monstero Maggiore |
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| Jan Gossart, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child Flemish, c.1515 Prague, Narodni Galerie |
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| Jan Gossart, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Flemish, c. 1520-1522 Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum |
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Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Flemish, c. 1635-1640 Nimes, Musée des Beaux Arts |
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| Maerten van Heemskerck, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child Dutch, 1532 Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum |
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| Girolamo da Carpi, Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child Italian, c. 1535 Chicago, Art Institute |
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| Lanceloot Blondeel, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Christ Child Flemish, 1545 Bruges, Groeninge Museum |
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| Frans Floris, Saint Luke Painting Flemish, c.1560 Amtwerp. Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten |
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| Giorgio Vasari. Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Italian, After 1565 Florence, Church of Santissima Annunziata |
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| Marten de Vos, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Flemish, 1602 Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten |
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| El Greco, Saint Luke Greco-Spanish, c. 1605-1610 Toledo, Cathedral |
After about 1600 the incidence of this subject seems to have grown less frequent, but it was never completely abandoned.
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| Johann Heiss, Saint Luke German, 1640 Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemaeldesammlunger, Alte Pinakotek |
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| Guercino, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child Italian, c. 1652-1653 Kansas City, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art |
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| Pierre Mignard, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child French, c. 1670 Paris, Musée du Louvre |
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| Marco Benefial, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin Italian, c. 1730-1750 Senlis, Musée d'Art et d'Archeologie |
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| Francisco Bayeu y Subias, Saint Luke Spanish, c. 1778 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Jules Ziegler, Saint Luke Painting the Virgin and Child French, c.1840 Dijon, Musée Magnin |
One seventeenth-century painter decided to show Luke's studio.
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| Karel Slabbaert, The Workshop of the Evangelist Luke Dutch, 1648 Berlin. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Preussischer Kulturbesitz |
Saint Luke as a Physician
Oddly, since there is the evidence of Saint Paul’s comment,
I only found one solitary image of Saint Luke as a physician.
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| Juan de Sevilla, Saint Luke the Physician Spanish, c. 1401-1435 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
Saint Luke provides us with some of the most important and well-known Biblical texts. To him we owe our knowledge of the story of the birth of Saint John the Baptist, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Jesus, the story of the Magi, the Flight into Egypt, the Finding of Jesus in the Temple at twelve, the Ascension. He is the patron of artists (and art historians) as well as of doctors and, since tradition says that he never married, of bachelors.
© M. Duffy, 2017
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| Donatello, Saint Luke Italian, c. 1428-1443 Florence, Church of San Lorenzo, Old Sacristy |
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| Andrea della Robbia, Saint Luke Italian, 1490 Prato, Church of Santa Maria delle Carcer |
© M. Duffy, 2017
1. Quotations are from the introduction to the Gospel of
Luke on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Biblical website http://www.usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=Luke&ch=
Scripture texts in this
work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986,
1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by
permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New
American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from
the copyright owner.
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