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The Morgan Beatus Part III: The Judgement Folios

© George R. Hoelzeman

Four illuminations in the Morgan Beatus are spread over two folios. Of these, the event most frequently illustrated in Christian culture is the Judgment. However, Maius' interpretation of the Judgment, although borrowing from earlier sources, is in many ways unique and innovative. In spite of this it does not seem to have influenced subsequent depictions of the subject to any significant degree.There are numerous elements in Maius' illustration which are unusual.

In most depictions of the Judgment, the enthroned Christ is positioned in the center of Apostles and angles. The saved and damned surround this central figure as they received reward or sentence. The earliest Judgment illustrations have been associated with funeral monuments of the late third and early fourth centuries. These early scenes focus on the judgment of the dead, hope of resurrection and reward of the just. Generally they depict Christ as the Lamb of God or the Good Shepherd. Judgment consists of separating sheep from goats in a pastoral surrounding. They begin to appear in apse decorations of the early fourth century. By the sixth century basilica apses in the East routinely depicted judgements and glorified Christ images. Another element contributing to the classic Judgment scene are Second Coming depictions of the enthroned Christ, supported by angels descending upon the earth. The Bobbio Ampullae No. 2 is one such Second Coming icon with similarities to the Morgan Judgement. The mandorla of the enthroned Christ is supported by two angels while Christ holds the book and gestures with his free hand. These arrangements probably derive from the arrangement of the early liturgy and church architecture as well as secular law court designs. In the early basilica, both judicial and ecclesiastical, the presiding bishop or judge sat in the apse surrounded by his assistants and ministers.

There are elements in the Morgan Judgement which seem to be connected with this early tradition, especially that of the Byzantine East. On f.219v we see the enthroned Christ as described above. Arranged in levels below him are the Twelve seated on thrones and passing judgement on 21 individuals. Between each pair of judging apostles is a bust length, nimbed figure. These mysterious figures may be associated with an inscription describing two types of judges, those "who are not to be judged and are judges and those who judge and reign." Brenk argues that the prototype of these half-length figures could only be Byzantine. In fact, the images in the Morgan Beatus bear striking resemblance to frescos in Hagios Stephano in Castoria. The Stephano fresco shows such nimbed, half-length figures behind enthroned, book holding saints just as the Morgan Beatus. Beatus could have seen such an image in one of his eastern sources and included it in his Commentary. This image would have then been transferred to Spain by way of the original Beatus Commentary. Merovingian and Carolingian Judgement imagery of this same period is considered too unformed to have contributed to such a clear apocalyptic vision.

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