Beato de Liébana

The Book of the Revelation illuminated in the style of calligraphers of old.
Alcaíns decided to rekindle the extinct tradition of book illumination. His fascination for the Facundus Beatus, the Arroyo, Cardeña and Silos beatus manuscripts drove him to continue their work. “I merely decided to follow in their footsteps, far removed from them in time but not overly so as regards this style of painting with its plain colours in sharp contrast, its well-defined lines and unreal bands, all of which are captured on these pages."

“This beautiful codex is the outcome of enthusiasm, and as such, like all great passions, has no logical explanation. When Alcaíns sent me his interpretation of the Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea by Luis de Góngora, a single glimpse was enough to remind me of the librarian in the Name of the Rose – Alcaíns is a librarian – and I commissioned him to create the Year 2000 Beatus with the same passion as the illuminators of medieval Beatus codices.”

Manuel Moleiro