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)
