Saint John Swallowing the Book, from 'The Apocalypse', Latin Edition
Original title: Saint John Swallowing the Book, from "The Apocalypse", Latin Edition
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's 1511 woodcut depicts the Evangelist John devouring a book, a motif from the Book of Revelation. The print belongs to the 'Apocalypse' series, a key work of Renaissance printmaking. The lines are monochrome, as is typical for this technique.
Description
A figure holds a book and hurls it upward; around him a radiant light spreads from a face at the center. Angels and clouds fill the air. In the upper left, a balcony with two figures looks toward the light source; on the right, trees and plants frame the scene. Grass and stones cover the ground. The arrangement is symmetrical, focused on the central light.
Context
Dürer created the woodcut series 'Apocalypse' between 1496 and 1498; the first edition appeared in Nuremberg in 1498, with the Latin version following in 1511. The project was novel because it made the biblical Revelation accessible to a wider audience through an artistically crafted sequence of images. Dürer used the woodcut to disseminate complex theological themes with great precision—a process made possible by the printing press.
Impact
The lighting is striking: the face at the center appears as the source of divine revelation. Fine lines and the symmetrical layout create a solemn, almost mystical atmosphere that draws the viewer into the visionary scene.
Technique
Auf dem 38,8 x 27,9 cm großen Blatt füllt die Szene die Fläche fast vollständig, mit der strahlenden Vision als Zentrum und den Engeln sowie den beiden Figuren auf dem Balkon links oben als rahmenden Elementen. Feine Linien und Schraffuren formen Texturen und Schatten so präzise, dass die monochrome Komposition trotz ihrer Dichte klar und lesbar bleibt. Das Motiv gehört zu einer Serie, die in mehreren hundert Exemplaren verbreitet wurde.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)