Basic Information

Historical Context

An additional woodcut from the Apocalypse series depicting the Whore of Babylon. The series of fifteen woodcuts illustrating the Book of Revelation was Dürer's first major independent publication. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description The Whore of Babylon sits astride a seven-headed beast, richly dressed and drinking from a golden chalice. The beast wades through a sea or river. Angels pronounce judgment from above. The composition is dense with symbolic detail drawn from the Book of Revelation. Artistic Analysis The Apocalypse series as a whole represents a watershed in printmaking history. Dürer's ability to translate John's visionary text into coherent visual narratives was unprecedented. The series established Dürer's reputation as the leading printmaker of his generation and demonstrated the woodcut's potential as a vehicle for complex narrative art.