The Whore of Babylon, from The Apocalypse

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Albrecht Dürer’s illustrations of the Apocalypse display an unprecedented scale and complexity. In this sheet, the Whore of Babylon, one of the visions foretold in the biblical book of Revelation, is perched on a seven-headed scarlet beast with 10 horns, holding aloft a chalice full of the “abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” She appears in contemporary Italian dress, perhaps a reference to the burning city in the distance, which is commonly interpreted as Rome, whose seven hills matched the beast’s seven heads.

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