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The Bamberg Apocalypse (
Bamberg State Library The Bamberg State Library (german: Staatsbibliothek Bamberg) is a combined universal, regional and research library with priority given to the humanities. Today it is housed in the New Residence, the former prince-bishop's new palace. The Free ...
, Msc.Bibl.140) is an 11th-century richly
illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...
containing the pictorial cycle of the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of R ...
and a
Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
Lectionary A lectionary ( la, lectionarium) is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christianity, Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion. There are sub-types such as a "gospel lectionary" or evang ...
of the books of
pericopes A pericope (; Greek language, Greek , "a cutting-out") in rhetoric is a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought, suitable for public reading from a text, now usually of sacred scripture. Also can be used as a way to identify certain ...
. This medieval illuminated manuscript was created during the
Ottonian dynasty The Ottonian dynasty (german: Ottonen) was a Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman Emperors named Otto, especially its first Emperor Otto I. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the ...
; it is unknown whether it was commissioned by
Otto III Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of ...
or Henry II. It was completed sometime between 1000 and 1020. There is proof that Henry II donated this illuminated manuscript in 1020 to Collegiate Abbey of St. Stephan, on the occasion of its inauguration. The Bamberg Apocalypse is now located in the
Bamberg State Library The Bamberg State Library (german: Staatsbibliothek Bamberg) is a combined universal, regional and research library with priority given to the humanities. Today it is housed in the New Residence, the former prince-bishop's new palace. The Free ...
.


History


Origin

The date of completion is between 1000 and 1020. The Bamberg Apocalypse was created at the
scriptorium Scriptorium (), literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the writing, copying and illuminating of manuscripts commonly handled by monastic scribes. However, lay scribes and ...
at Reichenau.


Theme

The theme of this illuminated manuscript is the Apocalypse and commentaries on the Apocalypse by Beatus. Even though apocalyptic motifs are found in Early Christian art, there is no evidence of any existing apocalyptic manuscript until the
Carolingian period The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...
. Apocalypse manuscripts were generally made in three different time periods:
Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
'',''
Ottonian The Ottonian dynasty (german: Ottonen) was a Saxons, Saxon dynasty of List of German monarchs, German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman Emperors named Otto, especially its first Emperor Otto I, Holy Roman Empe ...
, and Romanesque''.'' The Bamberg Apocalypse belongs in the category of Ottonian Apocalypses. The Apocalypse was becoming an important theme not only to the elites but to the common believer during this period. Christians believed in the idea of Doomsday and believed it to be occurring during their era.


Patron

Many scholars debate over the patron of the Bamberg Apocalypse. It may have been commissioned by
Otto III Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of ...
, who died suddenly in 1002, or by Henry II who may have found the unfinished work at the scriptorium and ordered its completion. Henry II, along with his wife, Cunigunde, donated the manuscript to the newly established Collegiate Abbey of St. Stephan at Bamberg.


Description


Materials Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geologic ...

The manuscript has 106
folios The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...
and is illuminated with 57 gilded miniatures and over 100 gilded
initials In a written or published work, an initial capital, also referred to as a drop capital or simply an initial cap, initial, initcapital, initcap or init or a drop cap or drop, is a letter at the beginning of a word, a chapter, or a paragraph that ...
. The dimensions of this illuminated manuscript is 29.5 x 20.5 cm In 2003 it, along with other Ottonian manuscripts produced at Reichenau, was added to the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Memory of the World Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
International Register.


Illuminations

The style of the Bamberg Apocalypse is closely related to other Reichenau manuscripts including the
Pericopes of Henry II The Pericopes of Henry II (german: Perikopenbuch Heinrichs II.; Munich, Bavarian State Library, Clm 4452) is a luxurious medieval illuminated manuscript made for Henry II, the last Ottonian Holy Roman Emperor, made 1002–1012 AD. The manuscrip ...
and the
Munich Gospels of Otto III The Gospels of Otto III (Munich, Bayer. Staatsbib., Clm. 4453) is considered a superb example of Ottonian art because of the scope, planning, and execution of the work. The book has 276 parchment pages (334 by 242 mm, 13.1 by 9.5 inches) and ...
. The Bamberg Apocalypse has attracted the attention of many scholars for its rich imagery and text. The Bamberg Apocalypse contains fifty miniatures in various sizes juxtaposed with Biblical text. There is a generous amount of gold in the background with figures in performative poses. This manuscript is also noted for the gestures used in the figurative narrative, especially in the hands. The iconography used in this manuscript can be traced to Valenceiennes influence. However, the Bamberg Apocalypse stands out on its own for its innovative representations of biblical text. For example, this manuscript is credited to being the first surviving representation of the Last Judgement within a manuscript. On Folio 27v of the Bamberg Apocalypse is the first full depiction of Revelation 11 with a narrative divided into three key scenes. The figures on the top preach as the beast attacks two witness that then get resurrected on the bottom right register. The Bamberg Apocalyse is the only extant illustrated
Ottonian The Ottonian dynasty (german: Ottonen) was a Saxons, Saxon dynasty of List of German monarchs, German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman Emperors named Otto, especially its first Emperor Otto I, Holy Roman Empe ...
Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
manuscript.


Notes


References

* Forbes, Andrew ; Henley, David (2012). ''Apocalypse: The Illustrated Book of Revelation'' (with illuminated illustrations from the Bamberg apocalypse). Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. ASIN: B008WAK9SS * Walther, Ingo F. and Norbert Wolf. ''Codices Illustres: The world's most famous illuminated manuscripts, 400 to 1600''. Köln, TASCHEN, 2005. * Ryan, Michael A (2016-01-01). ''Introduction: A Companion to the Premodern Apocalyse'', BRILL pp.1-17,
{{Authority control Book of Revelation Christian illuminated manuscripts 11th-century biblical manuscripts Ottonian illuminated manuscripts 11th-century illuminated manuscripts Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor