The Apocalyptic Woman, from The Apocalypse

The Apocalyptic Woman, from The Apocalypse by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528, is a pivotal work of the Northern Renaissance, executed between 1496 and 1498. This powerful image is a woodcut printed in black on tan laid paper, demonstrating Dürer’s revolutionary approach to the medium. He successfully elevated the German tradition of woodcut printing from a robust folk art into a sophisticated vehicle for dramatic narrative, achieving a level of detail previously associated only with engravings. This print belongs to Dürer’s groundbreaking fifteen-part series illustrating the visionary text of the Book of Revelation.

The subject illustrates the Woman Clothed with the Sun (Revelation 12), standing upon the crescent moon and crowned with twelve stars, shielded from the seven-headed Dragon. The scene, rife with the millennial anxieties typical of late 15th-century Germany, showcases Dürer's ability to combine complex theological symbolism and dynamic movement within a single composition. The dense, high contrast achieved through the precise handling of the woodcut medium heightens the tension of the spiritual conflict depicted.

The widespread dissemination of the Apocalypse series confirmed Dürer’s international reputation as the leading master printmaker of his era. This specific impression, a remarkable example of early German Renaissance artistic production, is part of the extensive collection of prints held by the Art Institute of Chicago. As a historically significant work, high-quality reproductions of this masterwork are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring continued access for scholarly study of Dürer's profound influence.