Illustrated Beatus manuscripts bring to life an extraordinary vision of the end of the world, as recorded by Saint John in the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) and filtered through the lens of Beatus of Liébana, an eighth-century Asturian monk. These manuscripts are unique to medieval Spain and a testament to the pervasive artistry and intellectual milieu of monastic culture there. The leaf shown here comes from a manuscript disassembled in the 1870s.
The seventh angel, shown standing on his books, is remarkable for the sense of movement he evokes through his twisting, graceful pose and intricately rendered drapery. He proclaims, "The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen." (Apoc. 11.15)
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Title:Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: the Seventh Angel Proclaims the Reign of the Lord
Date:ca. 1180
Culture:Spanish
Medium:Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment
Dimensions:Overall (folio): 17 1/2 x 11 13/16 in. (44.5 x 30 cm) Mat: 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6 cm)
Classification:Manuscripts and Illuminations
Credit Line:Purchase, The Cloisters Collection, Rogers and Harris Brisbane Dick Funds, and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1991
Accession Number:1991.232.12
From the Benedictine monastery of San Pedro de Cardeña, Burgos; Victor Martin Le Roy, Neuill-sur-Seine ; Jean-Joseph Marquet de Vasselot, Paris ; [ Alain Moatti, Paris (sold 1991)]
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