The Adoration of the Lamb - The Hymn of the Chosen, from The Apocalypse

The Adoration of the Lamb - The Hymn of the Chosen, from The Apocalypse by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528, is a powerful early masterpiece of German printmaking. Created between 1496 and 1498, this print exemplifies Dürer’s revolutionary approach to the woodcut medium. Executed in black ink on tan laid paper, the technical finesse visible in this piece elevated the status of prints from mere illustration to high art during the Northern Renaissance.

This sheet is the fifteenth image in Dürer’s famous Apocalypse series, which fundamentally changed the landscape of illustrated books in Northern Europe. It depicts a pivotal scene from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 7, where the redeemed souls gather before the throne of God and the Lamb. Dürer's masterful composition conveys both monumental scale and intricate detail, a necessity for visualizing complex apocalyptic visions. The dramatic clarity and spiritual intensity of the work reflect the cultural anxieties and profound religious fervor prevalent in late 15th-century Germany as the new millennium approached.

Dürer’s innovative use of dense, controlled lines and sophisticated shading established a high standard for subsequent generations of printmakers. The impact of the Apocalypse series was immediate and profound, securing the artist's international reputation early in his career. This piece remains an essential document of Renaissance artistry and is held within the distinguished collection of prints at the Art Institute of Chicago. As a landmark 15th-century German artwork, high-quality images of this important piece are frequently available through public domain archives, facilitating its study by art historians worldwide.