Shortly after the Arab conquest, on the eve of the Carolingian era, a monk from Santo Toribio monastery by the name of Beatus wrote certain Commentaries on the Apocalypse that deeply affected all Europe. The copies made over the centuries, illustrated with expressive illuminations, are known today as “Beatus”.
The magnificent Facundus Beatus (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional, Vitr. 14-2), completed in the year 1047, is perhaps the finest example of the millenarist sentiment of this period. Commissioned by royalty, no expense was spared in its manufacture. Its lavish images marked the start of one of the most prodigious iconographic traditions of the entire history of western art. This book features a selection of miniatures together with the respective Revelation excerpt and a commentary by the leading expert in this field, Prof. Joaquín Yarza.