A SPANISH APOCALYPSE. The Morgan Beatus Manuscript.

Superbly reproduced here in pages that photographically duplicate the vivid, colorful leaves of the original work, the medieval manuscript known as the Morgan Beatus is the illustrated Commentary on the Apocalypse of St. John, coupled with St. Jerome's Commentary on Daniel, which is customarily appended to it. The work was first compiled in the 8th century by the Spanish monk Beatus of Liébana, and has been preserved at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York since 1919. All 131 of the exquisite illustrations and illuminations are presented along with their Latin text, and the volume provides substantial commentary on the manuscript. The volume may be slightly imperfect.

Back in the tenth century A.D., a Spanish monk was commissioned to copy a theological text. The surviving result was the Morgan Beatus, an illuminated manuscript. A thoroughly interesting chapter in this book introduces the history of the manuscript, tracing its physical and stylistic origins. The following chapter goes to the extreme, examining the physical condition and construction in highly technical and complicated language. The true splendor of the book lies in the 131-page reproduction of the Morgan Beatus. The colors are vivid and stunning, with every detail visible and truly beautiful. However, the commentary that follows, augmented by a bibliography and glossary, is aimed at scholars and specialists, recommending this costly and oversized book only for large academic or special libraries with collections on medieval or religious manuscripts.
- Karen Ellis, Victoria P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.