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The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Christoph Murer

1630

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a 1630 ink by Christoph Murer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Christoph Murer
When & what style?: 1630 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This woodcut print depicts a chaotic scene of four horsemen riding through a turbulent landscape. The horsemen are dressed in various attire, with one wearing a helmet and holding a sword, another carrying a bow and arrow, and the third grasping a scythe. The fourth horseman appears to be falling off his horse. The background of the print is filled with swirling clouds and what appears to be a cityscape in the distance. The overall mood of the image is one of turmoil and destruction. This dramatic allegory is reminiscent of the works of artists from the Renaissance movement.