The Apocalypse of Isabella of France: Paris, Bibl. Nat. MS Fr. 13096

Probably made in 1313 for Isabella of France, the small but lavishly illustrated Apocalypse in Paris, Bibl. Nat. Fr. 13096 contains an unprecedented cycle of miniatures expressly designed for an unusual vernacular text and commentary. Along with similarly unique versions produced at the time in England, Isabella's French manuscript documents an important shift in the Gothic conception of the illustrated Apocalypse to a more intimately scaled, personalized devotional instrument of solitary meditation for aristocratic lay readers. Newly invented images transform the reading experience into a more introspective contemplation directed to the individual needs and tastes of one person praying alone within a private space.