The Martyrdom of Saint John, from "The Apocalypse"
Original title: The Martyrdom of Saint John, from "The Apocalypse"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary martyrdom scenes that isolate the saint, Albrecht Dürer's 1511 woodcut embeds St. John in a dense web of action: the apostle sits in a cauldron of oil, surrounded by his executioners and a crowd. This print belongs to Dürer's celebrated Apocalypse series.
Description
In the foreground, a long-haired, curly-headed man sits inside a large round vessel held by two traditionally dressed figures who watch closely. The man in the cauldron appears anxious or praying. Behind him, a group of people presses together—some with head coverings and robes, others with swords and lances. The architecture behind them features Gothic elements such as towers and arches.
Context
Dürer created the Apocalypse series between 1496 and 1498; in 1511 it was reissued as a second edition with woodcuts. The work illustrates John's vision on Patmos as told in the New Testament. This series ranks among the first book publications that an artist himself published and marketed.
Impact
The crowded arrangement of numerous figures creates an intense, oppressive mood. Clear lines and rich detail draw the eye to the suffering John and the crowd's indifference. The black-and-white print heightens the dramatic impact of the image.
Technique
The dense, detail-rich composition fills the sheet almost entirely, with the figures and the round vessel occupying the foreground while the crowd and Gothic architecture rise toward the upper edge. Fine lines and strong contours work together evenly across the format, giving the whole surface a uniform clarity typical of this technique.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)