Second Coming and Last Judgement, in the Huth Psalter

Named for its donor, the Huth Psalter reveals its origin by listing in its calendar of feasts and litany Saints Hugh, Wilfrid, and John of Beverly?all associated with Lincoln or York. Medieval psalters could be used publicly in the liturgy or privately as a prayer book, decoration, calendar and added prayers tailored for the use of an individual or community. Its illuminations? unusual features give vivid impressions of contemporary concerns and devotional practices. Combining the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgement, a full-page picture shows the resurrected Christ enthroned in the heavens, displaying the wounds of his crucifixion. The Virgin and St John act as intercessors on humanity's behalf, the Virgin presenting her breast to remind him that he too was born a human, her son. Below, three panels depict the saved and the damned over scenes of resurrection and hell.