Dürer's Woodcuts

In 1498, Albrecht Dürer published his Apocalypse — a series of 15 woodcuts that became the definitive visual version of Revelation. His Four Horsemen trampling humanity beneath their hooves is one of the most reproduced images in art history. The detail, energy, and terror of these prints set a standard no previous apocalypse cycle had matched.

Dürer published the Apocalypse as a book — one of the first art books where the images were the point, not illustrations for text. The year 1500 was approaching, apocalyptic anxiety was high, and Dürer's prints sold massively. He combined artistic genius with market timing.