The Whore of Babylon, from "The Apocalypse"

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Dürer's *The Whore of Babylon*, created in 1498 as part of his groundbreaking *Apocalypse* series, vividly captures a dramatic scene from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. This woodcut depicts the infamous figure astride a monstrous seven-headed beast, surrounded by figures symbolizing doom and divine judgment—evident in the tags of men, women, apocalypse, and monsters. Printed on a sheet measuring 15-5/8 x 11-1/4 inches, it draws from the vivid prophecies of St. John, portraying the Whore as a richly dressed woman embodying corruption and excess, a potent symbol in late medieval C...

About the Artist

Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...