Flemish Apocalypse

Flemish Apocalypse

The Belgian region of Flanders was a stronghold of medieval book art. The coveted illuminated manuscripts from Flemish studios were exported across all of Europe. The Flemish Apocalypse is a work from the Belgian school that continues to astound its beholders to this day. The unique manuscript in the Gothic style arose between 1400 and 1410 and contains breath-taking miniatures, which have been ennobled through gold leaf embellishment. The famous Belgian scholar and mystic Lubertus Hautscilt is considered to be the spiritual father of this apocalypse.

The Genre of the Apocalypse

The Book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible and is also known as the Apocalypse. In this biblical story the visions of John about Judgement Day and the end of the world are thematized. It is described, how sinners will be punished in Hell and righteous people will be rewarded in Heaven. The artistically valuable depictions of the Flemish Apocalypse are counted among the greatest eschatological pictorial visions of the Late Middle Ages.

Special Iconography

The miniatures of the Flemish Apocalypse give evidence to the extraordinary talent of the anonymous master. One the one hand, they maintain the typical style of the Apocalypse tradition, nevertheless they exhibit completely innovative characteristics. Every single miniature exhibits a particular visionary character, and visually echoes the mysterious atmosphere of the text. The special characteristics of the miniatures demonstrate the religious mentality of Flanders at that time. The outstanding manuscript marks the transition from the art of the Gothic to the Renaissance and an artistic highpoint of realistic painting in the southern Netherlands.