Artwork
The Seven Angels with the Trumpets
The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1497 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition features seven angels sounding trumpets, an event signaling the onset of divine judgments upon the earth.
This woodcut illustrates a scene from the biblical Book of Revelation, specifically chapters eight and nine. The composition features seven angels sounding trumpets, an event signaling the onset of divine judgments upon the earth. As part of Albrecht Dürer's Apocalypse series, the work visualizes the Christian concept of God's ultimate authority and the eschatological unfolding of the end times.
The imagery serves as a literal interpretation of the scriptural narrative, emphasizing the power of the divine within the framework of German Renaissance religious art.
Technique & Style
The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is a woodcut printed on laid paper, exemplifying the German Renaissance’s precise line work and compositional balance. Dürer’s handling of the medium demonstrates careful registration and tonal variation achieved through ink pressure and multiple impressions on the wooden block. The formal qualities include stark contrasts, intricate detailing of drapery, and a dynamic arrangement that conveys divine authority through angular gestures and symbolic attributes.
The print’s condition is stable, with no significant abrasions or foxing reported in institutional records. Stylistically, it merges narrative clarity with ornamental precision, reflecting the period’s emphasis on both spiritual content and technical mastery.
History & Provenance
The woodcut The Seven Angels with the Trumpets was created by Albrecht Dürer around 1496 in Nuremberg, likely as part of his Apocalypse series. The work’s dating aligns with the broader production of the series, which Dürer began after his return from Italy and completed by 1498, when the first Latin edition of Apocalypse was published with these prints.
The print is held in multiple institutional collections, including the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, and the Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden, among others. These holdings reflect the widespread early dissemination and preservation of Dürer’s Apocalypse woodcuts across European and American collections.
Prints of The Seven Angels with the Trumpets by Albrecht Dürer are held in multiple major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, the Städel Museum, the Harvard Art Museums, the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin, the Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden, and the Chester Beatty Library. Specific holdings include examples from the Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art. While the work was created around 1496, the National Gallery of Art holds a version dated to 1498.
The provided sources list these current locations but do not document a specific exhibition history or individual accession numbers for the various copies.
Overview
The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is a religious woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, dating to circa 1497. Executed in a newly emerging technique for its time, the work showcases Dürer's adeptness in woodcutting.
Context
Emerging during a period when woodcutting was a novel artistic method, The Seven Angels with the Trumpets reflects the artistic innovations of its era, blending religious subject matter with technical experimentation.
Legacy
While specific lasting impacts of this individual work are not widely documented, it contributes to Dürer's reputation as a pioneer in woodcutting, influencing subsequent generations of artists exploring the medium.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
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