#ApocalypseUTK: Primary Sources

The Lambeth Apocalypse contains in the main section the text of the Apocalypse with extracts from the 11th century commentary of Berengaudus. The work contains 78 miniatures which not only assist the reader as a visual aid to the understanding of the text, but also represent a statement of the social position of the owner. The Lambeth commentary copies almost every word of the Metz Apocalypse, a slightly earlier manuscript.

The earliest illustrated manuscripts of the Apocalypse were created in the ninth century, and only four manuscripts from the Carolingian time now remain. Among these, the Cambrai Apocalypse is probably the second oldest Apocalypse manuscript still in existence, and certainly one of the most colorful and vibrant.

The opening chapters recount God’s instructions to the bishops of the seven churches in Asia Minor. The following chapters describe John’s extraordinary account of events to come at the end of time. The colorful illustrations of this manuscript bring these dream-like prophecies to life.

This manuscript stands out for the meticulous manner in which Hell is represented, including all of its horrors and tortures; it really is a catalogue of the artist’s broad imagination and fantasy, while other manuscripts only treat this theme as single element amongst many others.

Even amongst the splendid English apocalypses, the magnificent Trinity Apocalypse stands out as the culmination of manuscript illumination in the Early Gothic period. The rich decoration of this codex is unique. Seventy-one large-format miniatures with over one hundred individual pictures on sixty-two pages and a lavish use of tooled gold leaf contribute to the splendor and beauty of this manuscript.

The Bamberg Apocalypse is among the most marvelous illuminated medieval manuscripts and the only illustrated cycle of the Apocalypse produced by Ottonian book painting. The leading scriptorium of the empire endowed the manuscript with imperial luxury: 57 miniatures on gilded ground and over 100 golden initials ornate its 106 leaves.

Unlike other illuminated manuscripts, the Biblia pauperum or the “Paupers’ Bible” places printed woodblock illustrations at the center of the page with only brief text to accompany the image. The text is written in the local vernacular language, as opposed to Latin, most likely to help illiterate “Paupers” understand the bible through images rather than text.

With almost 100 illuminations, the Oxford Apocalypse’s elaborate illustrative cycle is a rich source of apocalyptic iconography in the newest style out of France. The manuscript is also an invaluable source of information about the manufacturing of books in the high Middle Ages. Left unfinished, the pages are in various stages of completion allowing for a study of the illustrative process.
Some are entirely complete with rainbow borders, vibrant colors and gleaming gold. Others are partially painted. Several are left as elegant ink drawings, some with gilding, demonstrating the talent of draftsmanship at work.

The so-called Turin Codex is a Beatus manuscript originating in Catalonia ca. 1100. The 106 miniatures in total are of outstanding quality, which present innovative pictorial inventions in some places – e.g. the famous round world map.