Apocalypse

by Camille Flammarion

The final book of the Bible, known both as The Book of Revelation and The Apocalypse of John, is a prophesy of the events that will occur at the end of time. During the Middle Ages, in a society which held a deep belief in God and was mainly ruled by religious authorities, this apocalyptic theme recurs in art, through various media, including tapestries, illuminations, sculpture, and painting. This book pools the most famous pieces of art inspired by this theme, such as the Apocalypse drapery from Angers Cathedral, the carved tympanum of the Autun Cathedral, and the fresco in Albi Cathedral. The theme of the Apocalypse was a means to impress minds, whilst also allowing artists to develop their imaginations; its symbolic content allowing for many different interpretations.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History

157 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Nicolas Camille Flammarion was a French astronomer & author.

Reviews

[Adriana]

I'm beginning to look on the bright side of unemployment. For starters, I get to go to the library whenever I want and spend lots of time looking at books with pretty pictures. I also get to review those books, even when the pictures inside turn out to be disturbing interpretations of the apocalypse, the deluge, or simply creepy stuff with demons and skeletons in the corners. (I love you Dali, but your stuff gives me the chills)

So yeah, this is a book about the apocalypse. There’s some interesting stuff inside about eclipses, comets, diseases and famine, but honestly, I spent most of the time fascinated and horrified by the art work. Good thing I don’t believe in hell, otherwise I would live paralyzed with fear of spending the rest of eternity being cooked and eaten by two-headed demons.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4/5
2/5 al testo
4/5 circa alle immagini

[K. Eren · Rating 3 out of 5]

İlgi çekici bir kitaptı. İnsanlığın tarih boyunca yaptığı öngörme ya da kaotik olayları (dünyanın sonu gibi) tahmin etme çabasını anlatıyor. İçinde detaylı çizimler de mevcut, tavsiye ederim.

[Victoria Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave an interesting insight in the fears of apocalypses since the birth of Christ. I just wish we'd heard more about for example what Jehovas Witnesses have predicted.

[Gizmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un recorrido interesante en imágenes de probables fines del mundo desde el juicio final y la boca del infierno bíblica hasta más recientemente la guerra. Las pinturas y representaciones están bien escogidas y el texto tiene sus momentos más provechosos hacia el comienzo en tanto cotejo de fuentes y se apaga un poco más hacia el final con un mero recuento. Lindo para tener de referencia respecto de la temática.

[Asiuol K · Rating 2 out of 5]

The images were interesting and there was a decent variety of them, but the actual information became repetitive after a while. It's the type of book you will only read once.