The Four Avenging Angels, from "The Apocalypse"

The Four Avenging Angels, from "The Apocalypse," is a pivotal woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer between 1496 and 1498. This dramatic print is part of Dürer’s influential series illustrating the Book of Revelation, which cemented his reputation as the foremost graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance. The technical complexity and monumental scale of the Apocalypse series redefined the possibilities of the woodcut medium, elevating it from a simple illustrative technique to a major artistic form that resonated deeply with the spiritual anxieties of the late fifteenth century.

The scene specifically visualizes the terrifying events described in Revelation 9, when four angels, previously held bound by the River Euphrates, are released to execute divine judgment upon the Earth. Dürer depicts this moment of catastrophic upheaval with characteristic intensity. The composition is dominated by frenzied movement as the avenging angels unleash the four forces of destruction: fire, smoke, and brimstone, which issue powerfully from the mouths of colossal, serpentine beasts.

Below the celestial turmoil, powerful, rearing horses plunge headlong into a chaotic battle, trampling and slaughtering terrified mortals. This dynamic integration of angels, horrific beasts, and the chaos of human battles demonstrates Dürer’s ability to imbue the often-stiff medium of woodcut prints with fluid motion and deep psychological weight. Dürer’s masterful handling of line creates complex gradations of tone and texture rare for graphic works of this era. This compelling depiction of the Apocalypse remains a foundational image in the history of German Renaissance art and is maintained in the distinguished collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.