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Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: the Angel of the Church of Sardis with Saint John

ca. 1180
Not on view
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.

Saint John counsels the angel of the church of Sardis, after the church had been rebuked for being spiritually lifeless: "Be watchful…observe, and do penance…He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." (Apoc. 3.3-6)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: the Angel of the Church of Sardis with Saint John
  • Date: ca. 1180
  • Culture: Spanish
  • Medium: Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment
  • Dimensions: Overall (folio): 17 1/2 x 11 13/16 in. (44.4 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
  • Object Number: 1991.232.4
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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