
An introductory lecture about the authorship, history, and controversies surrounding the last of the Bible known as the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses the three waves of Christian apocalyptic art - in the eighth century, the high Middle Ages, and twentieth-century modern paintings.
This video lecture discusses Christian paintings that depict St. John of Patmos, the presumed author of the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian paintings depicting the angels of Revelation who play three roles - they adore the Almighty, control nature and initiate natural disasters, and, finally, serve as instruments of destruction. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian apocalyptic paintings depicting four horsemen of Revelation. The color of the horses - white, red, black, and pale - symbolize salvation, war, famine, and death. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian apocalyptic paintings that depict women in Revelation - the mother giving birth to a child and escaping into the wilderness in chapter 12 and the whore of Babylon from chapter 20. We also explore the paintings focusing on Revelation's evil characters - dragons, beasts, and the antichrist. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian apocalyptic paintings that depict the Day of Judgment or the Last Judgment. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian apocalyptic paintings that depict the Devil and the damned. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture discusses Christian apocalyptic paintings that depict the new heaven and earth or the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. Art illustrations are accompanied by the corresponding quotations from the Book of Revelation.
This video lecture explores the history of abstract painting and specifically focuses on the works of Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) and his apocalyptic compositions.
The Book of Revelation (popularly known as The Apocalypse) is one of the foundational texts of Western culture. It captivated the minds and inspired the hearts of many religious thinkers, philosophers, and artists throughout the ages. This course aims to revisit Revelation in light of artistic developments in Western painting from the eighth through the twentieth centuries.
The first section will briefly examine the Book of Revelation, its origin, history, content, and biblical canonization. In the second section of the course, we will discuss the development of Christian apocalyptic art from the eighth through the twentieth century. In the third section, we will turn to abstract art known as “high modernism.” Our discussion of the early abstract painting in the West will culminate in the examination of one of the founders of abstraction, Wassily Kandinsky’s apocalyptic compositions.
The course will consist of short lectures and complimentary reading materials. By the end of the course, participants will be able to (1) learn about the authorship, history, and controversies surrounding the last book of the Bible; (2) understand the structure and symbolic imagery of the Book of Revelation; (3) trace the history of Christian apocalyptic art throughout the centuries.; and (4) identify various styles of Western painting from medieval through modern times.