The Four Horsemen

The Four Horsemen is one of the most famous and powerful images created by the influential German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer. Executed between 1496 and 1498, during the transition period spanning the years 1401 to 1500, this masterpiece of printmaking is a stark illustration from the Book of Revelation, Chapter Six. The work is defined by the incredible technical mastery Dürer brought to the medium of the woodcut on laid paper. Unlike many contemporaries who treated woodcuts as merely illustrative, Dürer elevated the process, pushing the limits of detail and dynamic composition possible within the confines of the print classification.

Dürer depicts the terrifying climax of the biblical prophecy, showing the four riders galloping fiercely across the terrestrial plane, trampling kings, citizens, and clergy alike. The figures personify Pestilence (or Conquest), War, Famine, and Death, the latter wielding a trident and riding a skeletal horse. The energy and scale of the composition are extraordinary, capturing the existential fears prevalent in late 15th-century Europe. Dürer’s dramatic use of line and dense crosshatching gives the scene remarkable depth and texture, transforming the flat surface into a scene of visceral, apocalyptic chaos.

This piece is a central plate in Dürer’s monumental fifteen-part series known as The Apocalypse. The initial success and wide distribution of these prints established Dürer’s international reputation as the foremost graphic artist of his era, solidifying the importance of German visual culture on the European stage. A superb example of this influential The Four Horsemen resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars and the public an opportunity to study this pivotal moment in art history. As a foundational work of this age, high-quality images of this print are often available today through public domain resources, ensuring the continued study of this revolutionary composition.