|
Book of Miracles: 16th-century apocalyptic visions in pictures In 1552, a curious and lavishly illustrated manuscript titled Augsburg Book of Miraculous Signs appeared in the Swabian Imperial Free City of Augsburg, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire, located in present-day Germany. It exorcised, in remarkable detail and wildly imaginative artwork, Medieval Europe’s growing obsession with signs sent from “God” — a testament to the basic human propensity for magical thinking, with which we often explain feelings and phenomena beyond the grasp of our logic. This unusual Roman manuscript was recently discovered and published for the first time as The Book of Miracles — a sumptuous box-sized trilingual tome in English, French, and German, produced in Taschen‘s typical fashion of pleasurable aesthetic bombast. Somewhere between Salvador Dalí’s illustrations of Montaigne, the weird and wonderful Codex Seraphinianus, and the visual history of Gotham’s imaginary apocalypse, the book is a singular shrine to some of the most eternal of human hopes and fears, and, above all, our immutable longing for grace, for mercy, for the miraculous. |
Book of Miracles - 1496
In 1496, at the time the Tiber burst its banks high and wide near Rome, a creature appeared.
Book of Miracles - 5th Angel
The fifth angel blowing his trumpet (Revelation 9:1-4)
Book of Miracles - 1551
Five suns over Leipzig (1551)
Book of Miracles - 1534
Sea creature (1534)
Book of Miracles - 1007
Comet (1007)
Book of Miracles - Eruption Vesuvius
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius (1482) labelled as such in the manuscript, the eruption actually took place in A.D. 79
Book of Miracles - St John's Vision
St. John's vision of Christ and the seven candlesticks (Revelation 1:12-18)
Book of Miracles - 1513
Monstrous birth (1513)
Book of Miracle - 73 BC
Bleeding bread and hail (73 B.C.)
Book of Miracles - Opening 6th Seal
Opening the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-14)
Book of Miracles - Ezekiel's vision
Ezekiel's vision
Book of Miracles - 1456
Rain of blood and of flesh (1456)
Book of Miracles - Moses parting the Red Sea
Moses parting the Red Sea
Book of Miracles - Jonas & The Whale
Jonah and the Whale
Book of Miracles - The Deluge
The Deluge
Book of Miracles - 1531
In the year 1531, a bloody vision with a sword in its hand was seen near Strasbourg and in other parts, as well as a fiery citadel and an armed host on horseback.
Book of Miracles - 73 BC
Golden balls in 73BC
Book of Miracles - 1531
In the year 1531, a great whale was seen in the sky. This was followed by great earthquakes, so that about two hundred houses collapsed and more than a thousand people were killed.
Book of Miracles - 1506
In the year 1506, a comet appeared for several nights and turned its tail towards Spain. In this year, a lot of fruit grew and was then completely destroyed by caterpillars or rats. This was followed by an earthquake, so great and violent that in Constantinople, many buildings were destroyed and people perished.
Book of Miracles - 1533
In 1533, flying dragons were seen in Bohemia. This then went on for several days, with over four hundred of them, both big and small, flying together.
Book of Miracles - The Beast
The beast from the bottomless pit
Book of Miracles - 1552
In 1552, a terrible storm with hail descended on Dordrecht in Holland. It lasted about half an hour. Several of the stones weighed up to a few pounds.
Book of Miracles - Sea Monster
A sea monster and a beast with a lamb’s horns
Book of Miracles - 1496
In 1496, at the time the Tiber burst its banks high and wide near Rome, a creature appeared.