OMNIUM FINIS IMMINET

REVELATIONS MEDIEVAL STYLE

Facsimiles of ten important manuscripts of the Beatus Commentary on the Apocalypse have recently been purchased for the Medieval Institute Library Collection (7th floor, Hesburgh Library) through the collaboration and generosity of Professor Sabine MacCormack, the Graduate School, the Medieval Institute, the Department of History and the University Libraries.

This Commentary on the Apocalypse was composed in Northern Spain at the end of the eighth century, almost certainly by the monk Beatus of Liébana. The last book of the New Testament lends itself particularly well to strong imagery, and a sequence of striking illustrations was soon associated with this commentary. The manuscripts reproduced in this set are all from Northern Spain and range from the late tenth century to the early thirteenth century. These high-quality reproductions recreate even the feel of the originals and show the evolution of the artistic program in the Beatus manuscripts from the Mozarabic to the Romanesque. They also make possible the careful study of changes in the content and script of the text as various influences came to play.

THE VALLADOLID BEATUS

Valladolid, Biblioteca de la Universidad, MS 433
230 ff., 350x240mm.
8 June- 8 September 970
Origin: Kingdom of León (Valcavado?)
Scribe and Illuminator : Obeco

THE TÁBARA BEATUS

Madrid, Archivo Histórico Nacional, Cod. 1097B
168 ff., 360x255mm.
27 July 970
Origin: San Salvador de Tábara
Scribes: Monnius, Senior
Illuminator : Magius, Emeterius

THE URGELL BEATUS

Museu Diocesá de La Seu d’Urgell, Num. Inv. 501
232 ff., 402x265mm.
Last quarter of the 10 th century
Origin: Kingdom of León

THE SAN MILLÁN BEATUS

Madrid, Real Academia de la Historia, Cod.33
Last quarter of the 10 th century (RAH 33 Mozarabic part)
First quarter of the 12 th century (RAH 33 Romanesque part)
Origin: Castile ( Moz. Part) (?);
         San Millán de la Cogolla (Roman. part) (?)

EL ESCORIAL BEATUS

Escorial, Biblioteca del Monasterio, &. II.5
151 ff., 335x225mm.
c. A.D. 1000
Origin: San Millán de la Cogolla

THE OSMA BEATUS

Burgo de Osma, Archivo de la Catedral, Cod. 1
166 ff., 360x225mm.
Begun 3 January or 3 June 1086
Origin: Sahagún
Scribe: Petrus
Illuminator: Martinus

THE TURIN BEATUS

Turin, Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, Sgn. I.II.1
233 ff. (214 original), 372x296mm.
First quarter of the 12 th century
Origin: Catalonia, probably Ripoll

Click on image to see enlargement

THE RYLANDS BEATUS

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, MS lat. 8
248 ff., 454x326mm.
c. A.D. 1175
Origin : Region of Burgos (San Pedro de Cardeña ?)

THE LORVÃO BEATUS

Lisbon, Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo
219 ff., 345x245mm.
A.D. 1189
Origin: S. Mammas, Lorvão
Scribe: Egeas
Illuminator : Egeas (?)

LAS HUELGAS BEATUS

New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, M. 429
184 ff., 530x340mm.
September, A.D. 1220
Origin: Burgos, Sta. María la Real de las Huelgas (?) Toledo (?)

Marina Smyth, Medieval Studies Librarian
with the technical expertise of Elaine Savely

May 2005