Apocalypse (Dürer)
The secret revelation iohannis , Latin Apocalipsis cum figuris, is a printed work by Albrecht Dürer with the revelation of John , which is best known for his 15 woodcuts . It was published in 1498, first with the German, shortly afterwards with the Latin text of the Revelation. It was a great success and is still one of Dürer's most famous works, especially the depiction of the four apocalyptic horsemen .
description
Dürer's Apocalypse consists of 16 large-format sheets (four layers of two double sheets each): The size of the woodcuts is 28.2 × 39.3 cm; most of the specimens that are still preserved today have been trimmed; the original sheet size was probably around 32.5 × 48 cm. The recto side of each sheet shows a woodcut, the verso side the text set in two columns of 62 lines, so that when open the text is illustrated to the left of the woodcut on the right. If the text and the associated illustration are separated from one another, reference is made to the illustration at the corresponding text passage, e.g. B. Item on the figure eight before Chapter 10. On the verso side of the title page is the preface in one column, the verso side of the last sheet is empty. For the initials of the 22 chapters and the preface an almost square free field four lines high was left, which could be filled in by hand using a rubricator .
Emergence
In 1498, Dürer was 27 years old and had recently started his own business in Nuremberg. On his first trip to Venice in 1494/1495 he got to know the Italian Renaissance (the historicity of this trip is, however, disputed in research). The Apocalypse is not a commissioned work, rather the artist conceived, executed and published it on his own initiative.
The colophon on sheet 15v also mentions Dürer himself as the printer: printed at Nurnbergk by Albrecht dürer painter after the birth of Christ. M.cccc. and then in xcviii. jar . Dürer's godfather, the book printer Anton Koberger , was probably involved in the printing . The text of the German edition was taken from Koberger's German Bible from 1483 ("Koberger Bible"). Dürer's woodcuts are also influenced by the woodcuts of the Koberger Bible; these in turn were taken from the Cologne Bible of 1479. The letters come from the Schedel'schen Weltchronik published by Koberger in 1493: in the German edition an early form of the Schwabacher , in the Latin edition a rotunda . All woodcuts are signed with the well-known Dürer monogram, which was unusual for woodcuts at the time.
Dürer called his apocalypse the "Big Book" because of the format. Later he published two "Great Books", the Life of Mary and the Great Passion . All three Great Books have the same format and were occasionally sold together and bound in an anthology. The Apocalypse was a great success and in a short time made Dürer known far beyond the borders of his hometown. In a time of political and religious upheaval shaped by end-of-the-time expectations - a few years before the Reformation - there was great interest in apocalyptic topics. The apocalypse was also very profitable for Dürer financially; it provided him with considerable income throughout his life. For sales, Dürer employed "travel servants" who traveled from town to town and sold prints. His wife Agnes and mother also sold copies at trade fairs. In 1511 Dürer published a second edition of the Latin version, which differs mainly in the title page.
Due to the high circulation at the time, a number of copies of the Revelation cycle have survived, but most of them were cut up and sold as single sheets in the art trade. They are found in collections and museums all over the world. The edition of 1498 is much rarer than that of 1511, for example only four copies are known in the United States ( National Gallery of Art in Washington, Saint Louis Art Museum , Houghton Library at Harvard University and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ). The British Museum in London, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe and the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung Munich also have a copy in German. Occasionally copies find their way into the art trade. The 1511 edition paid around € 100,000 and the 1498 edition over a million.
The individual woodcuts
Dürer calls the woodcuts "figures". They are numbered, only counting the actual illustrations of Revelation. On the verso side, in front of the woodcut with the chandelier vision, under the text Nachvolget, there is the first figure .
Frontispiece of the 1511 edition
The titles of the two editions from 1498 with their artistic calligraphy are also cut in wood and not set with movable letters. For the new edition in 1511, Dürer expanded the title woodcut to include a pictorial representation of John the Evangelist and the Madonna and Child. John is identified by his evangelist symbol, the eagle, and writes on Revelation. The Madonna carries a star crown, is surrounded by a halo surrounded and rests on a crescent moon . This symbolism comes from Revelation: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, and the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars ( Rev 12 : 1 LU ).
Martyrdom of the Evangelist John
The illustrations of Revelation are preceded by a depiction of the martyrdom of St. John. According to legend, the evangelist John - of whom Dürer assumed, according to the official teaching of the church, that he is also the author of the Revelation - was thrown into boiling oil at the Porta Latina in Rome, which however could not harm him, whereupon he was from the emperor Domitian was exiled to Patmos , where he wrote the Revelation. This legend is attested as early as the 3rd century by Tertullian , later the church of San Giovanni a Porta Latina was built for the saint at the Porta Latina and a special holiday was set up to commemorate his martyrdom ( John ante portam latinam , 6 May).
Emperor Domitian and the man standing next to him with a sword are dressed as Turks - a common way of depicting unbelievers and enemies of Christ. The crowd and the armed men behind the stone balustrade are dressed in contemporary clothing, the buildings in the background are those of a German city from the 15th century.
1. The chandelier vision
The first figure illustrates John's candlestick vision ( Rev 1,12-16 LU ):
12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. And when I turned around I saw seven golden candlesticks 13 and in the middle of the candlesticks one who was like a son of man, dressed in a long robe and belted around his chest with a golden belt. 14 His head and hair were as white as wool, like snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire, 15 and his feet like gold ore that glows in the furnace, and his voice like the rush of water; 16 And he had seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone as the sun shines in its power.
As in all illustrations, Dürer follows the text of Revelation very faithfully. The Son of Man is enthroned on a double rainbow, in front of him John kneels on a bank of clouds. The seven splendid candlesticks are arranged almost symmetrically. Dürer had learned the goldsmith's trade in his youth, which is why he was particularly interested in the rich, different decorations in all candlesticks.
2. The 24 elders before the throne
The second figure shows the 24 elders before the throne ( Rev 4,1–8 LU , 5,1–9 LU ):
1 Then I saw, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice that I had heard speak to myself like a trumpet that said: Come on, I will show you what should happen after this. 2 Immediately I was seized by the Spirit. And behold, there was a throne in heaven, and on the throne sat one. 3 And he who sat there looked like the stone jasper and sarder; and a rainbow was around the throne like an emerald to look at. 4 And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne came lightnings, voices, and thunder; and seven torches with fire burned before the throne, these are the seven spirits of God. 6 And before the throne it was like a sea of glass, like the crystal, and in the middle of the throne and around the throne four heavenly figures, full of eyes in front and behind. 7 And the first shape was like a lion, and the second shape was like a bull, and the third shape was like a man, and the fourth shape was like a flying eagle. 8 And each of the four figures had six wings, and they were full of eyes outside and inside, and they had no rest day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and he was is and who is coming. […] 5,1 And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a book written inside and out, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel crying out with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals? 3 And no one, whether in heaven or on earth or under earth, could open the book and see it. 4 And I wept a lot because no one was found worthy to open the book and look inside. 5 And one of the elders said to me, Do not cry! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome the root of David to open the book and its seven seals. 6 And I saw a lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four figures, and among the elders, as if slain; It had seven horns and seven eyes, these are the seven spirits of God, sent into all the earth. 7 And it came and took the book from the right hand of him that sat on the throne. 8 And when he took the book, the four figures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, 9 and they sang a new song, You are worthy to take the book and open its seals; for you were slain, and with your blood you bought people for God from all tribes and tongues and peoples and nations.
On the left and right at the edge of the picture the open wooden door wings of the stone heavenly gate can be seen. Dürer portrayed the visionary content - the lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, the four eye-strewn figures with six wings - as “realistically” as possible. Johannes kneels again on a cloud bank, one of the 24 elders turns to him. The elders sit on wooden pews. All 24 are individually designed: They differ in physiognomy, clothing and posture, and their 24 crowns are also different.
The calm and peaceful landscape below is in sharp contrast to this - nothing is noticeable yet of the catastrophes that will soon befall the earth.
3. The four horsemen of the apocalyptic
The depiction of the apocalyptic horsemen ( Rev 6.1–8 LU ) is one of Dürer's most famous works.
1 And I saw that the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four figures say, as if with a voice of thunder: Come! 2 And I saw, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out victorious and to conquer. 3 And when it opened the second seal, I heard the second figure say: Come! 4 And a second horse came out, it was bright red. And whoever sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, that they might kill one another, and a great sword was given to him. 5 And when it opened the third seal, I heard the third figure say, Come! And I saw, and behold, a black horse. And whoever sat on it had a scale in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice among the four figures say, One measure of wheat for one silver groschen, and three measures of barley for one silver groschen; but do no harm to the oil and wine! 7 And when it opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth figure say, Come! 8 And I saw, and behold, a pale horse. And he who sat on it, whose name was: Death, and Hell followed him. And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword and famine and pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Dürer took the basic composition and almost all of the picture elements from the Koberger Bible, but transformed them according to his own ideas and thus created a masterpiece. Only the whip-wielding devil on the left edge of the picture and the angel who crowns the rider on the white horse ( “and he was given a crown” ) have been omitted - in Dürer's case he already wears the crown on his head. In contrast to the Koberger Bible, all four riders storm side by side in the same direction, which gives the woodcut a much more dynamic effect.
The dominant figure is the third rider on the black horse with the scales in hand. It symbolizes rising prices and famine.
The depiction of death is unconventional: Dürer replaced the traditional scythe with a trident, and instead of the usual grinning skeleton, Dürer's death is an emaciated, bearded old man with a rigid gaze. "Hell" follows death, personified as a monster with a torn jaw. The people who try in vain to escape from death and hell belong to all social classes: a bishop is being devoured, a citizen's wife has fallen to the ground.
4. The opening of the fifth and sixth seals
With the opening of the fifth and sixth seals , further catastrophes break in ( Rev 6: 9-17 LU ):
9 And when it opened the fifth seal, I saw below at the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for their testimony. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice, Lord, holy and true, how long do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? 11 And they were given a white robe to each, and they were told that they would have to rest a little longer before their fellow servants and brothers, who were also to be killed like them, would come in full. 12 And I saw that when the sixth seal was opened, there was a great earthquake, and the sun was dark like a black sack, and the whole moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell on the earth like a fig tree sheds his figs when moved by strong winds. 14 And the sky was withdrawn like a scroll that is rolled up, and all the mountains and islands were moved from their place. 15 And the kings of the earth and the great and the rulers and the rich and the mighty and all the slaves and all the free hid themselves in the crevices and rocks of the mountains 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from him Before him who sits on the throne and before the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?
The souls of the murdered are shown as naked bodies, the altar at the top in the middle is surrounded by angels who distribute the white robes. The sun and moon underneath are conventionally represented with faces, the apocalyptic events are indicated only by the facial expression (“dark as a black sack”, “like blood”). In the middle the stars fall from the sky, in the lower half of the picture the inhabitants of the earth try to protect themselves from them. Again all social classes are represented: on the right edge of the picture a pope with a tiara , in front of it a king.
5. The four angels with the winds and the 144,000 sealed
1 Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow over the earth, nor over the sea, nor over any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, who had the seal of the living God and cried with a loud voice to the four angels, who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea: 3 Do the earth and no harm to the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, who were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: 5 sealed from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Aser twelve thousand Twelve thousand from the tribe of Naftali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand.
According to tradition, the four winds are represented as four blowing heads. Two of the angels are facing the winds directly, the angel on the left directs sword and shield against the wind. The other two angels stand, resting, facing the viewer. Instead of juvenile genderless beings - like most angels - these two angels are middle-aged men. To the right of it another angel "seals" the crowd of the elect by painting the sign of the cross on their foreheads.
6. The seventh seal and the first four trumpets
After the opening of the seventh seal, seven angels blow their trumpets and thereby bring further harm ( Rev 8 : 1–13 LU ):
1 And when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels standing before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, with a golden censer; and much incense was given to him to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense went up before God with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel. 5 And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and poured it on the earth. And there came thunder and voices and lightning and earthquakes. 6 And the seven angels with the seven trumpets were ready to blow. 7 And the first blew his trumpet; and there came hail and fire, mingled with blood, and fell on the earth; and the third part of the earth was burned up, and the third part of the trees was burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 And the second angel blew his trumpet; and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, fell into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood, 9 and the third part of the living creatures in the sea died, and the third part of the ships was destroyed. 10 And the third angel blew his trumpet; and a great star fell from the sky, it burned like a torch and fell on the third part of the rivers and springs. 11 And the name of the star is wormwood. And the third part of the waters turned into wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they became bitter. 12 And the fourth angel blew his trumpet; and the third part of the sun and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars were struck, so that their third part was darkened and the light did not shine for the third part of the day, and likewise in the night. 13 And I saw and heard an eagle fly through the middle of the sky and said in a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the other trumpets of the three angels that are still to blow!
Behind the altar with the golden censer and the smoking angel, God the Father is enthroned, surrounded by the seven trumpet angels, five at the same height, two in the center of the picture. Again, all seven angels are shown individually, with different postures and facial features. Four of them are already blowing the trumpet, three are still in their hands. Accordingly, only the catastrophes triggered by the first four trumpets are shown: on the right of the picture, hail falls with fire and blood and sets the city on fire in the background; on the left the fiery mountain falls into the sea, so that boats and ships get into distress; In the lower left corner, the star wormwood falls into the water sources, symbolized by a rectangular fountain. The sun and moon are shown similar to the fourth figure. In the middle of the picture the eagle announces its we ve ve - the only text in the 15 woodcuts.
7. The sixth trumpet: The four angels of vengeance and the riding army
13 And the sixth angel blew his trumpet; and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar before God; 14 who said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Let go of the four angels who are bound by the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were released, who were ready for the hour and the day and the month and the year to kill the third part of the people. 16 And the number of the army on horseback was many thousand times a thousand; I heard their number. 17 And so in this vision I saw the horses and those sitting on them: they had armor of fire red, and blue, and sulfur-yellow, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 Of these three plagues, a third part of the people were slain by the fire and smoke and brimstone that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like serpents and had heads, and with them they did harm. 20 And the rest of the people who were not killed by these plagues did not turn from the works of their hands, that they no longer worshiped evil spirits and idols of gold, silver, iron, stone, and wood, which neither see nor hear can still walk, 21 and they were not converted from their murders, their sorcery, their fornication and their thievery.
Of the "many thousand times a thousand" riders on their fire-breathing steeds with lion heads, Dürer only depicted five, his main focus is on the four angels who cause a massacre with determination and brutality: the angel at the top left grabs a woman by the hair around her head knock off; the angel at the bottom right is preparing to kill the Pope, who is lying on the ground.
8. The strong angel; Johannes devours the book
1 And I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven, clothed in a cloud, with the rainbow on his head and his face like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand he had a little book that was opened. And he put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth, 3 and he cried with a loud voice like a lion roars. And when he cried, the seven thunders raised their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write it down. Then I heard a voice from heaven say to me: Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken and do not write it down! 5 And the angel, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth, lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who made heaven, and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it and the sea and what is in it: there will be no more time from now on, 7 but in the days when the seventh angel will lift up his voice and blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be completed, as he preaches it has his servant the prophet. 8 And the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, Go, take the open book from the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth. 9 And I went to the angel and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take and devour it. And your stomach will be bitter, but your mouth will be sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and devoured it. And it was sweet in my mouth like honey, and when I ate it my stomach was bitter. 11 And I was told, You must prophesy again about peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.
The apocalyptic vision - again very faithfully represented by Dürer - is embedded here in a detailed earthly scene: the open sea with boats and sailing ships, dolphins and swans; the island of Patmos with lush vegetation; John's writing utensils with pen, knife, inkwell and whetstone.
9. The woman clothed in the sun and the seven-headed dragon
1 And there appeared a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And she was with child, and cried in distress, and was in great agony in childbirth. 3 And another sign appeared in the sky, and, behold, a great red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads, 4 and its tail swept away the third part of the stars of the sky, and cast them up the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she had given birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a boy, who was to rule all the peoples with an iron rod. And her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman clad in the sun was interpreted as Mary early on (see frontispiece ). Your newborn child is "caught up in God": two angels carry it away in a shawl. She is endowed with mighty eagle wings: and the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman that she might fly into the desert to her place where she should be nourished a time and two times and a half away from the face of the serpent ( Rev 12:14 LU ).
In depicting the seven-headed dragon, Dürer again demonstrates inexhaustible imagination and ingenuity: One of the seven heads spews water ( and the serpent pours water out of its throat like a stream after the woman to drown her. , Revelation 12:15 LU ) , the other heads have different shapes that are reminiscent of pigs, sheep, camels and others.
10. Michael's fight with the dragon
After the four apocalyptic horsemen, Michael's battle with the dragon ( Rev 12 : 7–9 LU ) is probably the best-known woodcut in the series.
7 And battle broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon fought and his angels, 8 and they did not prevail, and their place was no longer found in heaven. 9 And the great dragon, the old serpent, which is called Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, was thrown out, and he was thrown to the earth, and his angels were thrown with him.
While other woodcuts show an abundance of individual events, this one concentrates entirely on the main event: The depiction is dominated by the figure of the archangel who drills his lance into the dragon's throat. Three other angels fight against the angels of the dragon, who - like the dragon itself - are depicted as fantasy monsters.
As in the second figure , the apocalyptic events take place over a peaceful and idyllic earthly landscape.
11. The beast from the sea and the beast from the earth
1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns, and profane names on its heads. 2 And the beast I saw was like a panther, and its feet like a bear's feet, and its mouth like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave him his strength and his throne and great power. 3 And I saw one of its heads as if it were mortally wounded, and its mortal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled at the beast, 4 and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave the beast the power, and worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast and who can fight with it? 5 And there was given him a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies, and power was given to him to do it for forty-two months. 6 And it opened its mouth to blaspheme God, to blaspheme his name and his house and those who dwell in heaven. 7 And power was given to him to contend with the saints and to overcome them; and power was given to him over every tribe and people and tongues and nations. 8 And all who dwell on the earth worship it, whose names are not written from the beginning of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who is slain. 9 Does anyone have ears to hear? 10 If anyone is to go to prison, he will go to prison; if anyone is to be killed with the sword, then he will be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints! 11 And I saw a second beast rise out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
Dürer carefully follows the text: The beast from the sea has seven heads, ten horns and ten crowns, in contrast to the dragon mentioned above with seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns ( Revelation 12 : 3 LU ). The crowd below represents the "tribes and peoples and languages and nations" who worship the beast. The animal from the earth, which is depicted as a lion with ram horns, is less spectacular.
God the Father on the heavenly throne in the top center and the angel to the right of him hold a sickle in their hand. This alludes to the upcoming harvest and grape harvest ( Rev 14 : 14-20 LU ):
14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud. And on the cloud sat one who was like a son of man; he had a golden crown on his head and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple and cried with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, Put on your sickle and reap; for the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he who sat on the cloud set his sickle on the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, who had a sharp vintner's knife. 18 Another angel came down from the altar, who had power over the fire, and called out to the one who had the sharp knife with a loud voice, `` Put on your sharp winegrower's knife and cut the grapes on the vine of the earth, because its berries are ripe. 19 And the angel set his knife on the ground, and cut the grapes from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was kicked outside the city, and the blood ran from the wine press to the bridles of the horses for a thousand and six hundred stadia.
12. The Adoration of the Lamb and the Song of the Elect
1 And I saw, and, behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and his father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of great water and like the voice of a great thunder, and the voice that I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song but the one hundred and forty-four thousand who were bought from the earth. 4 These are they who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever it goes. These were bought out of men as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and no falsity was found in their mouths; they are flawless.
In this woodcut many elements from the second figure are repeated: the lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, the four figures, the 24 elders. However, John is not in heaven, but on earth, on the island of Patmos. The kingdom of heaven has come very close to earth, the heavenly vision with the 144,000 martyrs with the palm branches in the middle fills almost the entire picture, one of the elders in heaven is almost at eye level with John and speaks to him. The horizon is almost at the bottom of the picture, the seascape around Patmos is shown only very small.
13. The whore of Babylon on the scarlet beast
The 13th figure illustrates a plethora of episodes from the 17th to 19th chapters of Revelation:
1 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying, `` Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits by many waters, 2 with whom the kings played fornication on the earth to have; and those who dwell on the earth have become drunk with the wine of their fornication. 3 And he brought me in spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of profane names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and had a golden goblet in hand, full of the abominations and uncleanness of her fornication, 5 and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery, The great one Babylon, mother of fornication and of all the horrors of the earth. 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I was very surprised when I saw her. 7 And the angel said to me, Why do you wonder? I will tell you the secret of the woman and of the beast that she bears, and has seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast you saw was and is not now, and will rise again from the abyss and go to damnation. And those who live on earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the beginning of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast that it was and is not now and will be again ( Rev 17 : 1– 8 LU ).
The scarlet beast is the third of the monsters with seven heads and ten horns, this time - following the text - without any crowns. For the whore Babylon , Dürer used a drawing of an elegant young lady in Venetian costume from 1495. The golden cup full of horror and uncleanness is a hump cup, a work of the Nuremberg goldsmith's art.
An angel in heaven announced the fall of Babylon: 1 Then I saw another angel descending from heaven, who had great power, and the earth was lighted up with his splendor. 2 And he cried with a mighty voice, Babylon the great, she has fallen, she has fallen, and has become a dwelling place for devils, and a prison for all unclean spirits, and a prison for all unclean birds, and a prison for all unclean and hated animals. 3 For all the peoples have drunk the wine of wrath of their fornication, and the kings of the earth have played fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from their great abundance ( Rev 18 : 1-3 LU ). The kings and merchants, whose downfall is imminent, are still devoted to the beast and the whore Babylon. In the background on the right, however, the fall of Babylon can already be seen: 8 That is why her plagues will come in one day, death, suffering and hunger, and she will be burned up with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judges them. 9 And they will weep and mourn the kings of the earth who have whore and whore with her when they see the smoke from her fire in which she burns. ( Rev 18,8,9 LU )
Next to it the “strong angel” throws a millstone into the sea: And a strong angel picked up a stone as big as a millstone, threw it into the sea and said: The great city of Babylon will be thrown down in a storm and will no longer be found. ( Rev 18:21 LU )
At the top left the tab “Faithful and Truthful” is shown with the host of heaven: 11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it was called: Faithful and true, and he judges and fights with righteousness. 12 And his eyes are like a flame of fire, and there are many crowns on his head; and his name was written, which none knew but himself. 13 And he was dressed in a robe that was drenched with blood, and his name is The Word of God. 14 And the host of heaven followed him on white horses, clothed with pure white linen. ( Rev 19 : 11-14 LU )
14. The Shackle of the Dragon and the New Jerusalem
In the last woodcut, Dürer combines two sections of Revelation:
1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he seized the dragon, the old serpent, that is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it up, and put a seal on top of it, so that he should no longer deceive the people until the thousand years would be completed. After that he has to be let go a little while ( Rev 20 : 1-3 LU ).
The image is dominated by the mighty angel in the middle with a large bunch of keys. This angel has tied a chain around the devil's neck and is about to push him into the abyss of hell. Flames burst out of the opening to hell with an iron lid. The devil himself is depicted as a scaly beast and sticks out his tongue - in popular depictions of the time the devil was often a ridiculous figure.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God with the people! And he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and he himself, God with them, will be their God; 4 and God will wipe away all the tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, neither will there be sorrow, nor outcry, nor pain; for the first has passed ( Rev 21 : 1-4 LU ).
At the top right, John is standing on a hill with an angel, the angel points with his hand to the " new Jerusalem ", whose city gate is guarded by another angel. As in all city images, Dürer depicted a contemporary German city.
See also
- Leaded glass window of the Revelation of John, from 1540, in the church of St-Georges in Chavanges in the Aube department (Champagne-Ardenne / France), after the woodcuts of the Apocalypse by Albrecht Dürer
literature
- Albrecht Dürer. The apocalypse. Facsimile of the German original edition from 1498 ›The secret revelation of Johannis‹. With an essay by Ludwig Grote . Prestel, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7913-2215-X .
- Willy Kurth (Ed.): Albrecht Dürer. All woodcuts . With a preface by Campbell Dodgson. Holbein-Verlag, Munich 1927. Reprinted by Dover, New York, ISBN 0-486-21097-9 .
- Werner Körte : Albrecht Dürer. The Apocalypse (= Art Letter 51). Gebr. Mann, Berlin 1948, again as Albrecht Dürer - The Apocalypse of Johannes , Reclam, Stuttgart 1957.
- Karl Arndt : Dürer's Apocalypse. Attempts at interpretation. Dissertation, Göttingen 1956.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Katherine Crawford Luber: Albrecht Dürer and the Venetian Renaissance . Cambridge University Press 2005, ISBN 0-521-56288-0
- ^ A b Carol Vogel: Investing in Old Masters in Economic Hard Times , New York Times , October 23, 2008
- ^ Auction on November 17, 2010 at Tajan's in Paris
- ^ Tertullian: De praescriptione haereticorum 36.3. Online in Latin and German
- ^ Reproduction of Dürer's drawing in The realm of Venus. Fashion and Style In Renaissance Italy
