The Apocalypse of the Middle Ages: Hieronymus Bosch, Ivan the Terrible, The End of the World

This book tells about the most important category, especially in the medieval era, — the End of the World, the expectation of the End of the World. The main character of this book, as well as its central image, — the Apocalypse. But what is the Apocalypse? How did it arise? What are its roots? Why has the image of total collapse become so ubiquitous and even attractive? What is common between the Revelation of John the Theologian, the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, and the sinister activities of Ivan the Terrible? The reference to these three figures, which remain significant even today, allows us to see the evolution of the medieval fixed idea, the obsession with the notion of the End of the World. The reader will learn how the Apocalypse manifested itself in fine art, architecture, and direct political action.