The Visual Culture of Revelation

Revelation in Christianity means the divine disclosure of events that are otherwise inaccessible to human beings. But if no one was present to see them happen, how can the faithful know what they looked like? Since the late Middle Ages, images have worked in various ways with sacred texts, such as the Bible, the Lives of Saints, and devotional books, in bringing miracles and mythic events into visually accessible form. The works of artists have also aided the interpretation of difficult texts, such as prophetic and apocalyptic books of the Bible. In this study, David Morgan examines the art of seeing things and explores how art has played a key role in the creative production and interpretation of visions and apparitions. Traversing a long stretch of historical development, he offers new insights into a significant cultural history of European Christianity from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century.