Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon, from "The Apocalypse" (n.d.)
Original title: Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon, from "The Apocalypse"
kurzbeschreibung
This sheet from Dürer's Apocalypse cycle features the Archangel Michael locked in combat with the dragon. The woodcut dates to the late 15th century and renders the entire event in black and white alone. Its source is the Book of Revelation.
Description
At the front, Michael wields sword and shield against a powerful, intricately articulated dragon with multiple heads and tails. Accompanying angels join the fray. Farther back, dragons and angels continue on a smaller scale. A landscape with trees, a river, and a village fills the lower area. The layout feels dynamic and meticulously detailed, executed in crisp black lines on white.
Context
Between 1496 and 1498, Dürer worked in Nuremberg on the woodcut series 'The Apocalypse'. It was his first major print project and appeared in 1498 as a book with Latin and German text. The cycle cemented Dürer's reputation as a leading graphic artist of his era. For the Michael scene, the artist drew on Revelation 12:7–9.
Impact
A dense drama pervades the sheet, driven by animated lines and precise execution. A striking contrast emerges between the battling figures and the calm landscape behind them. Assured craftsmanship and compelling visual language distinguish the work.
Technique
In black and white, Dürer drives the battle's drama through the stark opposition of fine and forceful lines, carving out shadows and details that would blur in colour. This economy of means sharpens every contour of the combatants and lets the sheet reach a wide audience.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)