The Whore of Babylon, from The Apocalypse

The Whore of Babylon, from The Apocalypse by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528, is a pivotal work of graphic art created between 1496 and 1498. This powerful image is rendered as a woodcut in black ink on tan laid paper, demonstrating the artist's early mastery of the relief printing medium. It forms part of Dürer’s monumental series illustrating the Book of Revelation, which dramatically captured the era’s anxieties surrounding the turn of the sixteenth century.

The composition depicts the Whore of Babylon, a figure of corruption and worldly power described in the New Testament, enthroned upon the seven-headed beast. She is shown holding the golden cup of abominations, receiving the rapt attention and adoration of kings and commoners alike. Dürer's distinctive style blends the dramatic intensity of late Gothic Northern European traditions with the nascent interest in classical forms emerging during the German Renaissance. His meticulous attention to detail and powerful linear design elevated the woodcut from a simple illustrative technique into a major artistic expression.

This dramatic work is characteristic of the innovative approach to printmaking that flourished in Germany during this period. Dürer’s complete Apocalypse series was groundbreaking for its technical quality and scope, achieving immense popularity and widespread distribution across Europe, thereby solidifying his reputation as a master of prints. This important impression is currently housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While many original works of this age are today considered part of the public domain, this specific museum impression serves as a key reference for scholars studying the artist’s prolific output and the cultural landscape of Renaissance Germany.