The First Four Trombones, from The Apocalypse
1523–24
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 3/8 × 5 1/8 in. (16.2 × 13 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1963
Accession Number
63.705.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the dramatic world of the Renaissance with *The First Four Tromb, from The Apocalypse*, a captivating woodcut created by Hans Burgkma in collaboration with Silvan Otmar around 1523–24. This small yet powerful print (6 3/8 × 5 1/8 in.) hails from a series inspired by the Book of Revelation in the Bible, capturing the awe-inspiring moment when the first four angels sound their trombones—early precursors to the modern trombone, known then as sackbuts—to herald apocalyptic events. Burgkmair, a master of the German Renaissance and a pioneer in color woodcuts, worked in Augsburg during a t...
About the Artist
Hans Burgkmair|Silvan Otmar · 1473–1531
Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German painter and printmaker who became one of the leading artists of the Renaissance in Augsburg. Born into a family of painters — his father, Thoman Burgkmair, was a respected artist — he likely received his initial training in his father's workshop. He may also have studied with Martin Schongauer in Colmar, and a probable visit to Italy around 1507 ex...