Théophanie au début des Prophéties 

This is an illustration made around 1050 by the artist Facundus, and it’s painted on parchment. It forms the opening page of a commentary on the Book of Revelation. We can see the artist grappling with how to depict the voice of God, as the text was believed to be divinely inspired. In the center is an enthroned figure, presumably an evangelist, with a dove, representing the Holy Spirit, whispering in his ear. Above and below are seated figures representing the prophets. The artist was working in a precarious political environment, as the Christian kingdoms of Northern Spain were in constant conflict with the Islamic Caliphate to the south. The commissioning monastery would have been an important center of culture in this divided society. The image is conservative, as the figures are flattened and schematized, with no attempt to depict depth. However, this very conservatism is what makes it so valuable to us. The images and the texts they accompany are vital historical sources for understanding medieval Iberia.