The Opening of the Fifth Seal (Bamberg Apocalypse)

A miniature painting in a flat, stylized format features a golden background and a red altar draped in white cloth. The Lamb of God, with a cruciform halo, stands atop the altar. Below, a group of figures—the souls of the martyrs—are arranged in two clusters, wearing simple tunics and capes; they gesture upward toward the Lamb with open palms, their expressions solemn. The composition is divided by blocks of flat color, including a deep blue segment in the background.

This illumination is from the Bamberg Apocalypse, a 11th-century manuscript that serves as a visual commentary on the Book of Revelation (6:9-11), depicting the moment the martyrs ask for justice.