The Whore of Babylon, from "The Apocalypse"

The Whore of Babylon, from "The Apocalypse," is a pivotal woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer in 1498. This intense print belongs to Dürer’s groundbreaking series illustrating the Book of Revelation, which revolutionized European printmaking during the late 15th century and cemented Dürer’s reputation as a master draftsman.

The work captures the dramatic scene described in Revelation 17, depicting the great Woman clothed in scarlet, seated upon the seven-headed scarlet Monster (the Beast). Dürer’s composition skillfully uses the limitations of the woodcut medium to create stark contrasts, emphasizing the chaos and doom surrounding the Whore, who holds the golden cup of abominations. Crowds of men and common folk either kneel in corrupt worship or flee in terror at the foot of the enormous beast, illustrating the universal scope of the Apocalypse's judgment.

The precision achieved in this woodcut demonstrates Dürer’s technical genius. Utilizing fine, dense cross-hatching and complex line work, he transformed the traditional woodcut from a coarse illustrative tool into a sophisticated artistic vehicle capable of rendering deep shadow and volume. This crucial example of Renaissance prints is now housed in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Like many historically significant artworks, high-quality images of this piece, especially the early impressions, are often made accessible via public domain resources.