Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon, from The Apocalypse

Art Historical Context

Behold *Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon a dramatic woodcut from Albrecht Dürer's seminal *Apocalypse* series, created in 1498. This print captures the biblical clash from the Book of Revelation, where archangel Michael, armed with bow and arrow, triumphs over the fiery dragon symbolizing Satan. Dürer, a master of the Northern Renaissance, infused the scene with intense energy—Michael poised mid-air, dragon writhing below—drawing viewers into the cosmic battle of good versus evil. Dürer'sApocalypse* series, published amid late medieval anxieties over plagues, wars, and the approaching millennium, became a blockbuster hit, with over 400,000 impressions sold in its first years. As a woodcut, the medium allowed for affordable dissemination of intricate imagery, elevating prints from mere reproductions to high art. Dürer's virtuoso line work—crisp, expressive, and textured—conveys motion, scale, and divine fury, showcasing his revolutionary fusion of Italian perspective with German detail. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Mrs. Felix M. Warburg, 1940), this work highlights Dürer's enduring influence on religious iconography and printmaking, bridging medieval tradition with Renaissance innovation. A timeless emblem of spiritual victory!

About the Artist

Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...