Metadata Dürer Woodcuts
Frederick van der Meer. Apocalypse. Visions from the
Book of Revelation in Western Art. New York: Alpine
Fine Arts Collection, Ltd., 1978. p. 283-313,
[For discussion see Van der Meer 283-313]
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Woodcut, c. 15 x 11 in.
1511, Latin Edition (German edition 1498, Nurnberg.
Plate
1) Title page from the Latin edition, 1511, of Dürer’s
Apocalypse (which contains 15 Engravings): John sees the Woman and Child with the legend: APOCALIPSIS IN
FIGURIS
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Woodcut, c. 15 x 11 in.
1511, Latin Edition (German edition 1498, Nurnberg
Revelation 12.1-2, 5<br>
“ 1 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. . . , 5
And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule* all the nations with a rod of iron.”
2)
Rev1Durer1Sword
Plate I: The Son of Man among the Candlesticks
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Woodcut, c. 15 x 11 in.
1511, Latin Edition (German edition 1498, Nurnberg.
Plate I
Revelation 1
Frederick van der Meer. Apocalypse. Visions from the Book of Revelation in Western Art. New York: Alpine Fine Arts
Collection, Ltd., 1978. p.286.
1

Time: 1511, Latin Edition (German edition 1498,
Nurnberg). Plate I.
3) Rev4Durer2OpenDoor
Revelation 4
1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ 2 At once I was in the spirit,* and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.’
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.’
Plate XIII. The Great Prostitute on the Beast admired by a crowd of people; the millstone thrown into the sea; Babylon on fire; between the clouds, the heavenly host is seen far away, led by the Rider Faithful and True
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Woodcut, c. 15 x 11 in.
1511, Latin Edition (German edition 1498, Nurnberg.
Plate XIII
2

Frederick van der Meer. Apocalypse. Visions from the
Book of Revelation in Western Art. New York: Alpine
Fine Arts Collection, Ltd., 1978. p. 303.
Revelation 17.1-5
“1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me,
‘Come, I will show you the judgement of the great whore who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.’ 3
So he carried me away in the spirit* into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; 5 and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.’ 6And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus
Revelation 18.1-3, 21
“1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendour. 2 He called out with a mighty voice,
‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
It has become a dwelling-place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit,
a haunt of every foul bird,
a haunt of every foul and hateful beast.*
3 For all the nations have drunk*
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power* of her luxury.’”.. . .
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,‘With such violence Babylon the great city
will be thrown down and will be found no more . . .
Revelation 19.11-16: ”11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse!
Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe
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dipped in* blood, and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule* them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’.”
Rev20Durer14SatanBound
Plate XIV Satan thrown into the Bottomless Pit, an angel holding the key; another angel showing the Heavenly City to John
Van der Meer, 304.
Revelation 20.1-3: “1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be let out for a little while.”<br><br>Revelation 21
Revelation 21.9-14:” 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ 10 And in the spirit* he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the
Lamb.”
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