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Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia 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.

Philadelphia was one of the Seven Churches of Asia, commended for its faithfulness: "Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name." (Apoc. 3.8)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Leaf from a Beatus Manuscript: the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia 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: 1991.232.5
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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