Talking about the (Northern) Renaissance

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Albrecht Dürer, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1498) 

Many works of art emerged from the Renaissance period of our history. While originating in Italy, the ideas of humanism and classical antiquity made their way north by the early 16th century. Albrecht Dürer, one such artist from Germany, greatly influenced and defined the Northern Renaissance. One piece he’s well known for is the fourth woodcut of his Apocalypse series, depicting the four horsemen of the apocalypse, created on his return from Italy to his hometown of Nuremberg. 

Like many religious pieces of the Northern Renaissance era, Dürer’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse depicts a scene from the Book of Revelations. In this woodcut, we see the horsemen in the opposite order from when they appear in the book. On the far right, there rides Conquest, the first seal of seven in Revelations to be broken. And next to them is War, the second seal broken. Then next is Famine, and lastly, closer to the viewer is Death. It’s important to note that each horse is a unique color in the Bible, but since this is a woodcut, they’re in black and white. Dürer makes up for this by vastly accentuating each horseman's weapon. For instance, Conquest is known to carry a bow, but Dürer conveys the imminent threat of the apocalypse by having them string up the bow, poised to release their arrow.  War is depicted on a red horse, but Dürer depicts them with a large sword, raised and ready to slaughter. The only horseman who doesn’t need help being depicted arguably is Death. He is portrayed as a malnourished man on an equally malnourished horse, trampling over his victims and raising hell. 

Detail, Albrecht Dürer, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1498)

A strange sight is seen at the bottom left corner of the woodcut: a large reptilian-like creature devouring what appears to be a Catholic bishop. Many scholars and historians have taken this as a subtle nod to the oncoming Protestant Reformation, where the Bishop may represent present-day Christianity and the reptilian creature might represent the Protestant movement. Along with this detail, the figures being trampled under Death’s hooves are seen to be from every level of society, showcasing that no person is safe come Judgement Day. The raw emotions depicted on the faces of the victims, the horror and anguish, are almost unsettling, and the delight seen on Death’s face is nauseating in some aspects. Dürer’s attention to these tiny details is awe-inspiring and showcases the transition from Medieval to Renaissance styles well.






Works Cited
“The Apocalypse of Saint John.” The Apocalypse of Saint John, 1498, National Gallery of Art, 2008, www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.141215.html#overview. 
Heard, Kate, and Lucy Whitaker. The Northern Renaissance: Durer to Holbein. Royal Collection PublicationsIn Association with Scala Publishers Ltd, 2013. 
Hickson, Dr. Sally. “Albrecht Dürer, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, smarthistory.org/albrecht-durer-four-horsemen/. 

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