The Four Avenging Angels, from "The Apocalypse"

The Four Avenging Angels, from "The Apocalypse" by Albrecht Dürer (1498) is a seminal work in the history of German Renaissance prints. Executed as a powerful woodcut, this image is part of Dürer’s groundbreaking fifteen-sheet series illustrating the Book of Revelation, which was published in Nuremberg and established the young artist as the foremost printmaker in Europe.

The scene depicts the dramatic moment described in Revelation 9:13-19, where four avenging Angels are loosed to strike down a third of mankind. In the upper register, a fierce Angel sounds a trumpet, a Musical Instrument confirming the devastating scale of the apocalyptic narrative. Below, powerful, armored Horses and their demonic riders surge across the landscape.

Dürer utilizes the dramatic clarity inherent to the woodcut medium to maximize terror, showing the tiny Human Figures of the doomed populace being trampled beneath the hooves. The sophisticated composition and technical execution, particularly in the handling of light and shadow, elevate this work beyond traditional medieval block books. The graphic intensity Dürer achieved in his depictions of the Apocalypse defined the visual vocabulary for this subject for generations. The power of these early Renaissance prints secured Dürer’s international reputation and his place as a master of the medium. Today, this key work is housed in the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a crucial document of the early modern era.