Vision préliminaire. Le Christ porteur du Livre de Vie. Apoc. I 

Around 1050, Facundus painted this miniature, "Vision préliminaire. Le Christ porteur du Livre de Vie. Apoc. I," a vibrant depiction of Christ’s vision from the Book of Revelation. Here, Christ is the radiant center, holding the Book of Life, surrounded by angels, with the mortals below gazing upwards. This motif of divine figures holding books of knowledge or law echoes across cultures. Think of Hammurabi receiving his code or Hermes Trismegistus, each bearing symbols of wisdom. Note the upward gaze and raised hands of the figures below, gestures of supplication and reverence that recur in countless religious scenes across epochs. This expression can be seen in Ancient Egyptian art or the Orant figures, reflecting humanity's timeless impulse to seek guidance. Such gestures touch something deep within our collective psyche. The image is a powerful reminder of the human yearning for the divine and the stories we tell to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. Ultimately, this imagery emphasizes the cyclical journey of symbols, reborn and reimagined across cultures, speaking to the eternal human condition.