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The Whore of Babylon, from The Apocalypse

A work made of woodcut in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of woodcut in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1496–98

Artist:

Albrecht Dürer
German, 1471-1528

About this artwork

Albrecht Dürer’s illustrations of the Apocalypse display an unprecedented scale and complexity. In this sheet, the Whore of Babylon, one of the visions foretold in the biblical book of Revelation, is perched on a seven-headed scarlet beast with 10 horns, holding aloft a chalice full of the “abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” She appears in contemporary Italian dress, perhaps a reference to the burning city in the distance, which is commonly interpreted as Rome, whose seven hills matched the beast’s seven heads.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Albrecht Dürer

Title

The Whore of Babylon, from The Apocalypse

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1496–1498

Medium

Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

38.6 × 28 cm (15 1/4 × 11 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1956.961

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/4137/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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