The theme of the tapestry Of the seven original parts, six have survived. This set, presented in the castle of Angers in a museum space provided for this purpose, measuring 103 meters long and about 4.5 meters high. The 6 parts have, for the two that are complete, 14 tables, alternating red background and blue backgrounds and spread over two levels. Top of each piece, a character introduced under a canopy to the viewer the allegorical interpretation of visions that John would have received in the late first century. In addition to an illustration of the text of St. John the tapestry contains information (sometimes winks) on the political and social life of the fourteenth century.
In italics the parts that are missing or retains only a fragment.
First part
Incomplete
- A great character under a canopy.
Top:
- Saint John on Patmos.
- The seven churches. They are represented by seven churches materially and spiritually by 7 angels. To the left of the picture, John is his left hand to his mouth: he announced the Revelation contained in the book he carries in his right hand.
- Christ the sword. At this theophany, a being like a "son of man" reveals to St. John, prostrate at his feet, the mystery of 7 candelabra symbolizing the seven churches of Asia illuminated by the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit , and that of 7 red star that fits in the palm of his right hand representing the angels of the seven churches. In his mouth, held horizontally, a sword with double wire (the sword of the Word) symbolizes to her the power of the Divine Word.
- God in majesty. This is the second Vision of God in majesty. It depicts the four "live" or the four animals tetramorph that surround the throne of God and see John at the beginning of the Apocalypse, a vision that echoes that of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. The deity is held in a confined mandorla lion, bull, man and eagle is surrounded by 24 elders, six on each corner of the table.
- The elders prostrate themselves (or the Adoration of the twenty-four elders). At the center of the table the Lord in the mandorla and sitting on a rainbow sky, crowned cruciform nimbus. He holds the open book in hand. The tapestry does not follow it in the text of the Apocalypse: "Then I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and without" (V, 1 ). On both sides, twenty-four elders come to worship at his feet and lay down their golden crowns. For the theologians of the Middle Ages, the 24 elders were either the 24 books of the Old Testament or the 12 prophets and 12 apostles (the Old and the New Law.)
He illustrates the verse 2
"" And I saw an angel hard, cried aloud: "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to remove seals?" And no one could, either in heaven or on earth or underground, open the book or watch it. I burst into tears that no one was found worthy to open the book neither to look. But one of the elders said: "Weep not: behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, who earned his victory by the power to open the scroll and to waive the seven seals. ""
John is represented in the center of the tapestry, not the sidelines as usual. To his right a banner displaying the angel on his left the old man, making the gesture to lead John holds in his left hand glove, probably the one he removed to the touch. (This kind of anecdotal detail being sought in the miniature behind the curtain and not in the personal inspiration of its authors.)
"" I looked and I saw before the throne and the four beasts, and among the elders, a Lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. " "
Bottom:
- The Lamb opens the book.
- First Seal: the winner on a white horse.
- Second seal: the red horse and war.
- Third seal: the black horse and famine.
- Fourth Seal: The pale horse and death.
- Fifth seal: the souls of the martyrs.
- Sixth seal: the earthquake.
Second part
Fourth Trumpet: The Eagle of misfortune.
Incomplete
Top
- The four winds, which only a fragment remains.
- The crowd of elected officials.
- Seventh seal, seven trumpets.
- The Angel in the censer.
- The angel empties his censer.
- First Trumpet: Hail and fire, which only a fragment remains
- Second trumpet: the sinking.
Down
- Third Trumpeter: The Absinthe.
- Fourth Trumpet: The Eagle of misfortune.
Verse 8.13 "Then I looked and heard the voice of an angel flying in mid air and said aloud:" Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of other voices the other angels who must give the trumpet. "The triple misfortune brings the eagle is made on the hangings, the city destroyed and the words of doom (in Latin" Ve, Ve, Ve) woven on the phylactery the bird, very large, holding in his legs and beak. (This is the only speech bubble of the hanging which bears an inscription.)
- Fifth Trumpet: grasshoppers.
- Sixth Trumpet: The Angels of the Euphrates.
- The myriads of cavalry.
- The Angel in the book.
- St. John eats the paper.
Third part
(A great man and 14 tables.)
- A great character under a canopy.
Top:
- The measurement of the Temple.
- the Two Witnesses.
- The death of two witnesses.
- Joy of men before the Witnesses dead.
- Witnesses resurrected.
- Seventh Trumpet: the announcement of victory.
- The Woman clothed with the sun.
Bottom:
- St Michael fighting the dragon.
- Woman gets its wings.
- The dragon pursues the woman.
- The Dragon fights the servant of God.
- The Beast of the Sea
"
(13:1) Then I saw emerge from the sea a beast with seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads blasphemous names. (2) The beast I saw resembled a leopard, with paws like a bear and the mouth like the mouth of a lion and the dragon sent him his power and his throne and great authority.
"
- Jean de Bruges represented the royal scepter bearing a lily to make clear the transmission of power.
- Adoration of the Dragon.
- Adoration of the Beast.
Fourth part
(A great man and 14 tables.)
- A great character under a canopy.
Top:
- New worship of the Beast
- The Beast of the earth brought down fire from heaven.
- The worship of the image of the beast.
- Number of the Beast.
- The lamb on Mount Zion.
- Singing the song again.
- An angel announced the good news.
Bottom:
- A second angel announces the fall of Babylon.
- A third angel and the Lamb.
- The sleep of the righteous.
- The house of the Chosen.
- The tank overflows.
- The harvest of the reprobate.
- The seven last plagues and the harps of God.
Fifth part
Incomplete
Top:
- Angels get their cuts.
- The first cut is paid on earth.
- The second cut on the water.
- The fourth section poured onto the sun (a fragment).
- The fifth and sixth cuts made on the throne and the Euphrates.
- The grenouillles.
- The seventh bowl is poured into the air.
Bottom:
- Prostitute on the great waters.
- The Prostitute on the Beast.
- The fall of Babylon invaded by demons.
- Angel throws a millstone into the sea
- The Prostitute sentenced.
- The marriage of the Lamb.
- Saint John and the Angel (large fragment).
Part Six
Incomplete
Top
- The word of God and the bowl of the fierce wrath of God.
- Birds devour the wicked.
- the Word of God supports the Beasts.
- The beasts are thrown into the lake of fire.
- The Dragon is bound for a thousand years. (Fragment)
- Judges.
- Satan besieged the city.
Bottom:
- The Devil is cast into the lake of fire.
- The Last Judgement.
- The New Jerusalem.
- The extent of the new Jerusalem.
- The river flowing from the throne of God.
- St. John before the Angel. (Fragment)
- Saint John before Christ. (Fragment)
References
- Including an Apocalypse of the twelfth century, executed in the monastery of Bethlehem near Cambrai.
Sources
- "The Tapestry of the Apocalypse of Angers" in Book Inventory 4, 1987, General Inventory, SPADEM, 2nd edition. (Published with the assistance of the Centre National des Lettres)
- General Inventory, 1996, Association for the Development of the general inventory. (With pictures of the underside of the tapestry, reversed images to see the colors of the tapestry identical or substantially to the original.)
- Guy Massin-Le Goff (ed.) and Stephen Vacquet (Eds.), Perspectives on the tapestry, Actes Sud, 2002. (Conservative Association of antiques and objets d'art de France)
- "The Apocalypse of Angers" in Dossier of Art, No. 31, August 1996.
- Louis Reau, Iconography of Christian art, Presses Universitaires de France, 1955
See also
Bibliography
- Paule Amblard , The Apocalypse of St. John, Diana editions of Saddlers, 2010, 405 p.
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