Then I Saw: The Influence of Albrecht Durer's Apocalypse as Paratext

In 1498, artist Albrecht Dürer published a series of woodcuts depicting scenes from the Book of Revelation, entitled Apocalypse. The impact and reach of Dürer’s work has been widely acknowledged by scholars, and its importance is difficult to overstate. Sixteen images were produced, each depicting scenes from the text of Revelation. This was a remarkable achievement, given the complexity and difficulty of the source material, and has influenced all subsequent depictions of the Apocalypse in the Western tradition. Apocalypse is therefore defined as a paratext, an artifact that affects the reading or interpretation of the original text, in this case the Book of Revelation. This essay will briefly discuss both the origins of Apocalypse and its paratextual influence, particularly with regards to Lucas Cranach’s illustrations for the Luther Bible. This essay will also briefly visually exegete selected Apocalypse illustrations and their engagement with the text of the Book of Revelation.