The Cloisters Apocalypse

ca. 1330

On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 13

The Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation, was, according to European medieval tradition, written by John the Evangelist during his exile on the Greek island of Patmos. 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.

A partly effaced coat of arms within the book suggests that it was created for an aristocratic couple in Normandy, the wife apparently a member of the de Montigny family.

[Please note that some images of this manuscript are not in order.]

The Cloisters Apocalypse, Tempera, gold, silver, and ink on parchment; later leather binding, French — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Folio 20v, War in Heaven. Please note that some images appear out of order.

Front Cover

Inside Front Cover

Folio 1r, The Annunciation and the Visitation

Back cover, inside

Folio 1v, The Nativity and the Annunciation to the Shepherds

Folio 2r, The Adoration of the Magi and the Presentation in the Temple

Folio 2v, The Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight into Egypt

Folio 3r, John on the Island of Patmos

Folio 3v, Vision of the Son of Man

Folio 4r, Addresses to the Churches

Folio 4v, Addresses to the Churches

Folio 5r, The Seven Churches and the Seven Angels

Folio 5v, The Court of Heaven

Folio 6r

Folio 6v

Folio 7r, The Opening of the Book

Folio 7v, The Opening of the First Seal: War

Folio 8r, The Opening of the Second Seal: Strife

Folio 8v, The Opening of the Third Seal: Famine

Folio 9r, The Opening of the Fourth Seal: Pestilence

Folio 9v, The Opening of the Fifth Seal: The Martyrs

Folio 10r, The Opening of the Sixth Seal: Signs on Heaven and in Earth

Folio 10v, The Control of the Four Winds

Folio 11r, The Blessedness of the Sealed

Folio 11v, The Opening of the Seventh Seal: The Angles Given Trumpets

Folio 12r, The Emptying of the Censer

Folio 12v, The First Trumpet Sounded: Hail and Fire Mingled with Blood Fell to the Earth

Folio 13r, The Second Trumpet Sounded: A Burning Mountain Is Cast into the Sea

Folio 13v, The Third Trumpet Sounded: The Waters Become Wormwood

Folio 14r, The Fourth Trumpet Sounded: The Light of the Earth Is Extinguished

Folio 14v, The Fifth Trumpet Sounded: The First Woe

Folio 15r, The Sixth Trumpet Sounded: The Angels Bound in the Euphrates Are Released

Folio 15v, The Army of Horsemen

Folio 16r, The Angel with the Book

Folio 16v, John Eats the Book and Is Commanded to Prophesy

Folio 17r, The Measuring of the Temple

Folio 17v, The Two Witnesses

Folio 18r, The Locusts Wage War

Folio 18v, The Breath of Life Enters the Witnesses

Folio 19r, The Witnesses Ascend; The Second Woe

Folio 19v, The Seventh Trumpet Sounded: The Elders Give Thanks

Folio 20r, A Storm; The Woman and the Dragon

Folio 21r, The Dragon and the Woman

Folio 21v, The Woman Escapes

Folio 22r, The Dragon Wages War

Folio 22v, The Beast of the Sea

Folio 23r, The Beast of the Sea and the Dragon Worshiped

Folio 23v, The Beast Wages War against the Saints

Folio 24r, The Beast of the Earth

Folio 24v, An Image of the Beast of the Sea Fashioned

Folio 25r, The Worshipers of the Beast Receive His Mark

Folio 25v, The Lamb and the Virgins

Folio 26r, The First Angel

Folio 26v, The Second Angel

Folio 27r, The Third Angel

Folio 27v, The Blessed Dead

Folio 28r, The Harvest of the Earth Reaped

Folio 28v, The Vine of the Earth

Folio 29r, The Angel Gathers the Vintage of the Earth

Folio 29v, The Angels and the Plagues, The Sea of Glass

Folio 30r, The Angels and the Bowls

Folio 30v, The First Bowl

Folio 31r, The Second Bowl

Folio 31v, The Third Bowl

Folio 32r, The Fourth Bowl

Folio 32v, The Fifth Bowl

Folio 33r, The Sixth Bowl

Folio 33v, The Unclean Spirits

Folio 34r, The First Ressurection

Folio 34v, Satan Released from Prison

Folio 35r, The Dragon and the Beasts Cast into Hell

Folio 35v, The Last Judgment

Folio 36r, The New Jerusalem

Folio 36v, John Led to the New Jerusalem

Folio 37r, The River and the Tree of Life

Folio 37v, John Worships the Angel

Folio 38r, John before the Lord

Folio 38v, Dedication Page

Folio 39r

Folio 39v

Folio 40r

Folio 40v

Back Cover

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Succession de M. le Baron Auvray: Gravures, tableaux, dessins, faïences et porcelaines […] 2e vente. Tours: Hôtel des Ventes, June 9-10, 1920. no. 203.

Tableaux Modernes, Sculptures, Emaux. Paris: Musée Galliéra, June 24, 1968. no. 2.

Deuchler, Florens. "The Cloisters: A New Center for Mediaeval Studies." The Connoisseur 172 (November 1969). p. 146, fig. 3–6, 13.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Ninety-Ninth Annual Report of the Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Fiscal Year 1968-1969." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, n.s., 28, no. 2 (October 1969). p. 85.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries. New York: Dutton Publishing, 1970. no. 150, p. 175.

The Cloisters Apocalypse: a Fourteenth-Century Manuscript in Facsimile, Volume 1: Facsimile. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1971. Facsimile reproduction.

The Cloisters Apocalypse: a Fourteenth-Century Manuscript in Facsimile, Volume 2: Commentaries. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1971. Discussed throughout.

Heimann, Adelheid. "Moses Shown the Promised Land." Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 34 (1971). p. 324, pl. 53b.

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Nickel, Helmut. "A Theory about the Early History of the Cloisters Apocalypse." Metropolitan Museum Journal 6 (1972). pp. 59–72, fig. 1–5, 7.

Nickel, Helmut. "Arms and Armor." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 32, no. 4 (1973-1974). p. 71.

Cetto, Anna Maria. "Der Dritte Apocalyptische Reiter." Metropolitan Museum Journal 9 (1974). pp. 203–10, fig. 2.

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