"Beatus" manuscripts are illustrated commentaries on the Apocalypse, the biblical revelation to Saint John the Evangelist. A compilation of visionary texts, made in about 776 by the Asturian monk Beatus of Lièbana, it consists of passages from the Book of Revelation accompanied by interpretations cast as Christian allegories. This leaf comes from a Beatus manuscript disassembled in the 1870s. Other parts of the manuscript are divided among museums and libraries in Madrid and Girona.
The pictorial style of these manuscript pages is notable for the vibrant, dramatic color contrasts and the refined linear treatment of the figures and draperies. The illustrations, occasionally quite literal interpretations of the texts, partially reflect the earlier Mozarabic tradition of manuscript illumination. The banded backgrounds and certain architectural details also reflect this style.
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<P>"Beatus" manuscripts are illustrated commentaries on the Apocalypse, the biblical revelation to Saint John the Evangelist. A compilation of visionary texts, made in about 776 by the Asturian monk Beatus of Lièbana, it consists of passages from the Book of Revelation accompanied by interpretations cast as Christian allegories. This leaf comes from a Beatus manuscript disassembled in the 1870s. Other parts of the manuscript are divided among museums and libraries in Madrid and Girona.</P> <P>The pictorial style of these manuscript pages is notable for the vibrant, dramatic color contrasts and the refined linear treatment of the figures and draperies. The illustrations, occasionally quite literal interpretations of the texts, partially reflect the earlier Mozarabic tradition of manuscript illumination. The banded backgrounds and certain architectural details also reflect this style.</P>
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