Revelation of St. John: Angel with the Key of the Bottomless Pit

Revelation of St. John: Angel with the Key of the Bottomless Pit is a powerful woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer in 1511. This monumental print is a key component of Dürer's celebrated Apocalypse series, which fundamentally redefined the capabilities and impact of printmaking in early modern Germany. The 1511 date marks the second Latin edition of the series, confirming its ongoing theological and commercial relevance a decade after its initial publication.

The dramatic scene depicts the fulfillment of the prophecy described in the Book of Revelation (Chapter 20), where an angel descends from heaven, armed with a great chain and the key to the abyss. Dürer shows the angel decisively casting Satan, rendered here as a horrifying winged beast, into the bottomless pit where he is to be bound for a thousand years.

Dürer’s mastery of the woodcut technique is evident in the dynamic compositions and the precise, varied line work that achieves tonal depth and shadow previously associated only with copperplate engraving. The brilliant white light surrounding the angel stands in stark contrast to the deep black shadows of the abyss, emphasizing the spiritual struggle and the certainty of divine victory. As a leading figure of the German Renaissance, Dürer utilized the widely accessible medium of prints to disseminate complex theological narratives across Europe, ensuring his legacy reached a broad audience. This significant example of Revelation of St. John: Angel with the Key of the Bottomless Pit is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.