Ende - Spanish artist, who lived at the turn of the X-XI centuries. and known for being one of the first female illustrators of medieval manuscripts. There is very little information about her. It is known that Ende was the author of illustrations for 24 texts that were included in the "Girona Beatus" - a copy of the commentary on the Book of Revelation, written by Beat Liebansky.
Although most historians are of the opinion that Ende served at the monastery, medieval scholar John Williams thinks otherwise. Perhaps she was one of the noble ladies who dedicated their lives and donated wealth to monasteries. Being a resident of Leon, she became interested in a large religious center - the monastery of Tabara, where about 600 monks and nuns lived.
The Beatus of Girona was ordered by Abbé Dominic. Two people worked on the design, as evidenced by the signatures: “Emetrius, monk and presbyter” and “Ende, artist and servant of God.” There was some debate for some time as to whether Ende worked alongside the monk or helped decorate finished drawings. An analysis of the techniques used showed that the woman made a significant contribution by drawing entire compositions, and did not remain in the shadow of Emetria.
One of the illustrations, occupying the entire page, depicts the scene of the appearance of Jesus Christ. Above is a group of angels, their bodies are hidden in the clouds, only their heads are visible. In the center is depicted Christ, who addresses the people standing on the ground.
Another drawing is known as the Epistle to the Church of Smyrna. The two human figures on the left are John and an angel with a rolled scroll. The drawing contains elements of the art of the Mozarabs - Christians who lived on the Iberian Peninsula and adopted the lifestyle of the Arabs.
