Commentary on the Apocalypse and commentary on the Book of Daniel
Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1910
Christ and Four Beasts -- Four winged Beasts, pearled nimbi, with human bodies, seated on cushioned benches, holding open scrolls on lecterns, above and below starred circular mandorla supported by two angels, pearled nimbi, enclosing Christ, pearled crossed nimbus, flanked by rayed sun and moon, book inscribed EGO SVM ALFA ET OMEGA in left hand, seated on cushioned bench with footstool; decorated background.
At the Second Coming, Christ will arrive in all his glory, seated on a throne. Here, with an imperial gesture, the returning Savior holds a book inscribed Ego sum alpha et omega (I am the Alpha and Omega). Angels support Christ's mandorla; in the four corners, anthropomorphic representations of the evangelists sit at desks. Each has a scroll with his name. The faces on the human bodies are the four living creatures of the Apocalypse that Jerome connected with the evangelists: the man represents Matthew; the eagle, John; the ox, Luke; and the lion, Mark.