Escorial Beatus

The Escorial Beatus is one of the most well-known illuminated manuscripts that make use of the Mozarabic style of art.

[1] The actual scribe likely wrote the inscriptions in the margins to provide an index to the proper subject for the illuminator.

[1] Although there are pages that have been lost, the Escorial Beatus remains a good example of a Mozarabic style illuminated manuscript.

The Escorial Beatus is similar stylistically to other works that were from San Millán de la Cogolla.

[1] For example, the way that human faces are illustrated in the Escorial Beatus is similar to another manuscript that is also believed to be from San Millán de la Cogolla.

The illuminations of the manuscript show similarities in style to those produced by Florentius, the artist responsible for a copy of the Moralia in Job of Pope Gregory I (Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional, Cod.

[2] It did not have characteristics such as the wide eyes, the banded backgrounds, nor the patterning or posing associated with the Mozarabic style, which is one of the features the Escorial Beatus is most known for.

In other manuscripts, the "plastic" style refers to the specific manner in which drapery and clothing folds are rendered, in a tubular fashion.

[1] The Mozarabic style of art takes its inspiration from Africa, Islamic, and North European artistic traditions.

[1] This exposure to Islamic tradition stems from when the Arabs invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the year 711.

[1] The frames of the illuminations are quite decorated, and the work makes use of dark colors, patterning, and yellow backgrounds.

[1] The imagery of the illuminations is taken from tales in the Bible, although most notably, there are illustrations, with accompanying commentary, depicting the apocalypse.