Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art


    • Manuscript of the Apocalypse, 1320s
    Normandy
    Paint, gold, silver, and brown ink on vellum

    Each leaf: H. 12 1/8 in. (30.8 cm), W. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
    The Cloisters Collection, 1968 (68.174)

    The Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation, was, according to tradition, written in Greek by John the Evangelist during his exile on the island of Patmos. Recounting God's instructions to the bishops of the seven churches in Asia Minor, and revealing his own vision of the end of the world and the future kingdom of Christ, the Apocalypse was an extremely popular subject in medieval art. In addition to lavishly illustrated volumes of the Book of Revelation, such as this example, isolated scenes from the Apocalypse appeared with frequency on buildings, small-scale objects, and in an array of medieval books.

    Related


    This work has been published in the Museum's Bulletin or Journal. These articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship.
  • Wixom, William D., and Margaret Lawson. "Picturing the Apocalypse: Illustrated Leaves from a Medieval Spanish Manuscript." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 59, no. 3 (Winter, 2002).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Nickel, Helmut. "A Crusader's Sword: Concerning the Effigy of Jean d'Alluye." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 26 (1991).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Schrader, J. L. "A Medieval Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 44, no. 1 (Summer, 1986).
    JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs
    • "Director's Note" PDF
    • "Introduction" PDF
  • Nickel, Helmut. "And Behold a White Horse...Observations on the Colors of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 12 (1977).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Nickel, Helmut. "Arms and Armor." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 32, no. 4 (1974)
    JSTOR | PDFs
    • "The Art of Chivalry" PDF
    • "Battle Armor" PDF
    • "The Crusades" PDF
    • "Director's Note" PDF
    • "Gentlemen's Jewelry" PDF
    • "Orders of Chivalry" PDF
    • "The Tournament" PDF
  • Nickel, Helmut. "A Theory about the Early History of the Cloisters Apocalypse." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 6 (1972).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Phillips, John Goldsmith. "A Sculpture by Agnolo di Polo." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 30, no. 2 (October–November, 1971).
    JSTOR | PDF
  • Howat, John K. et al. "Reports of the Departments." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 28, no. 3 (October, 1969).
    JSTOR | PDF
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  • Manuscript of the Apocalypse, 1320s
    Normandy
    Paint, gold, silver, and brown ink on vellum

    Each leaf: H. 12 1/8 in. (30.8 cm), W. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
    The Cloisters Collection, 1968 (68.174)