Inscribed top right: Ground of inky purple purple reddish cloak di (?) blue under coat bronze pot with fire terra verte saddle white horse shaded with brown Cloisters Apocalypse : Metropolitan Museum of Art 1971 The Opening of the Fourth Seal: Pestilence (f. 9r)
The Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation, was, according to European medieval tradition, written by John the Evangelist during his exile on the Greek island of Patmos. The opening chapters recount God’s instructions to the bishops of the seven churches in Asia Minor. The following chapters describe John’s extraordinary account of events to come at the end of time. The colorful illustrations of this manuscript bring these dream-like prophecies to life. A partly effaced coat of arms within the book suggests that it was created for an aristocratic couple in Normandy, the wife apparently a member of the de Montigny family. Provenance Robert Pecham, Biddlesden and Rome (until d. 1569) ; bequeathed to Thomas Darellus, Douay and Agen (from 1569) ; Antoine de Lescazes, Agen (from 1600) ; Etienne Cauvy, Bordeaux (by 1728, acquired from a travelling merchant) ; Dr. Louis-Maximien Rey, Bordeaux (1835–at least 1895, acquired as gift from a nun) ; baron Auvray, Tours (after 1895–ca. 1920) ; his posthumous sale, Hôtel des Ventes, Tours (June 9-10, 1920, no. 203; to Rothschild) ; Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, Paris (1920–d.1934) ; by descent to Alexandrine de Rothschild, Paris (1934–d. 1965) ; her posthumous sale, Palais Galliéra, Paris (June 24, 1968, no. 2; to Kraus) ; [ H. P. Kraus, New York (1968)]