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.
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Currently Off View
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Jean Duvet
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Title
- The Beast with Seven Heads
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Origin
- France
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Date
- 1505–1570
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Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- 300 × 290 mm (plate); 347 × 253 mm (sheet)
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Credit Line
- Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.
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Reference Number
- 1956.1054
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 .
