1511
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Revelation of St. John: Angel with the Key of the Bottomless Pit is a 1511 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a dramatic scene with three figures. On the left, a long-robed man kneels, clutching a scroll. Two winged angels stand behind him—one holding a key, the other pointing upward. In the background, a city with towers and a church looms under a stormy sky. The key the angel holds is tiny but stands out—it’s the focus of the whole scene. This print comes from a series of woodcuts based on the Book of Revelation. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how light and shadow create drama in art.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
See the richer artist page
![Madonna and Child [obverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d7b8ebf05d22ebe5/thumb.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/b4ebf9b282faa17a/thumb.webp)
