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The Beast with Seven Heads

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

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

Date:

n.d.

Artist:

Jean Duvet
French, 1485-after 1561

About this artwork

John’s vision from Revelation 13 pits the Lamb of God against a seven-headed, ten-horned apocalyptic beast of epic proportions. While an angel runs interference to warn the credulous earthly population against worshipping the beast, it is only the true believers in Christ who will survive. Duvet’s dense composition of quivering scales and genuflecting masses breaks open only at the top to reveal the true Christian sacrificial symbol, the Lamb. Bearing the attributes of the evangelist, this mild and just creature is both the apocalypse’s antithesis and antidote.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Jean Duvet

Title

The Beast with Seven Heads

Place

France (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.

Artist's working dates 1505–1570

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 30 × 29 cm (11 13/16 × 11 7/16 in.); Sheet: 34.7 × 25.3 cm (13 11/16 × 10 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1956.1054

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.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/4406/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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