The Apocalyptic Woman, from "The Apocalypse"
Original title: The Apocalyptic Woman, from "The Apocalypse"
kurzbeschreibung
God the Father sits enthroned, crowned and encircled by a halo of rays, with angels at either side. Below this heavenly zone, a woman in a long robe wrestles with a dragon. Albrecht Dürer's woodcut of 1511 belongs to his series 'The Apocalypse' and brings the vision of the Revelation of John to life.
Description
A crowned figure seated dominates the upper half of the image; clouds and stars frame him, with angels standing nearby. A bright ray cuts across his garment. Beneath, a woman with raised sword fights several dragons, while an angel with wide-spread wings accompanies the struggle. The bottom is anchored by a landscape with plants and a river. Black-and-white lines and hatching model light and shadow.
Context
Between 1496 and 1498, Dürer created his woodcut series 'The Apocalypse', which was reprinted in a second edition in 1511. It comprises 15 woodcuts and was part of a book project. Dürer was among the first artists to establish the Apocalypse as an independent subject in printmaking. The series cemented his reputation as a leading master of the woodcut.
Impact
Heavenly and earthly spheres are tightly interwoven, creating a tension-filled pictorial surface. The detailed struggle against the dragon gives the print a narrative force that pulls the viewer directly into the apocalyptic events.
Technique
Dürer modelt Schatten und Licht allein durch die geschnittene Linie: feine Parallelen und Kreuzschraffuren verdichten sich zu Tonwerten, die Gewänder, Wolken und Körper plastisch hervortreten lassen. So entsteht aus der reinen Schwarz-Weiß-Struktur eine dramatische apokalyptische Szene, in der Hell und Dunkel die Figuren und den Himmel gleichermaßen formen.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)