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Apocalypse of John, Leaf 42

German 15th Century

1465

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

Apocalypse of John, Leaf 42 is a 1465 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1465 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a chaotic scene carved into light brown paper. Figures with sharp, jagged lines are tangled in movement—some kneel, others reach upward, and a few appear to be falling. A tall, thin candle-like object stands in the center, surrounded by swirling shapes. The edges are rough, and the whole scene looks like it’s carved with a knife rather than painted. The text around the scene is in an old, blocky script, likely Latin, and it’s split into sections by thin lines. The figures’ faces are simple, almost like sketches, and the whole thing feels crowded and intense. Next, look up technique: woodcut to see how this kind of carving works.