A Rider on a Black Horse with a Pair of Balances in His Hand; and A Pale Horse with Death as Its Rider, from an Apocalypse blockbook, 2nd edition

Art Historical Context

This evocative woodcut from a rare Netherlandish *Apocalypse* blockbook (2nd edition, ca. 1440–50) depicts two harrowing figures from the Book of: a rider on a black horse a pair of balances, evoking famine and judgment, paired with Death astride a horse. Created anonymously in the early decades of printing, it captures the medieval fascination with end-times prophecy amid the Black Death's aftermath and ongoing turmoil, offering believers stark visual warnings of divine reckoning. Printed in dark brown ink on a compact sheet (11½ × 8⅜ in.), the work showcases the woodcut technique's bold lin...