Apocalypsis cum figuris (1498) — Gallery of Early Printed Books

Title page — Calligraphic title page reading "Apocalipsis cū figuris," the only typographic page of the gathering shown; the woodcut cycle follows on the rectos (f. 1r, Frankfurt UB Inc. gr. fol. 20).

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — Death, Famine, War and Conquest charging abreast above the trampled crowd, the avenging angel overhead and Dürer's AD monogram on the tablet below — the most celebrated sheet of the series (f. 5r).

St Michael fighting the dragon — Michael and the heavenly host driving their lances into the seven-headed dragon, set against a tranquil panorama landscape that anchors the cosmic battle to earth (f. 12r).

The Whore of Babylon — The harlot enthroned on the seven-headed beast and raising her golden chalice, admired by kings and clergy at left while the city burns at right (f. 15r).

1 / 4

Dürer's fifteen full-page woodcuts on the Book of Revelation, which gave the image precedence over the text and made him famous across Europe. Self-published by Dürer; the printing is generally attributed to the press of Anton Koberger. Issued in 1498 in both Latin and German; the German sibling is ISTC ij00227000.

Apocalypsis cum figuris

Details

Facsimiles

Images

References