Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Apocalypsis cum figuris

Location: Brukenthal Palace, Engravings and Drawings Cabinet
Duration: 14.12.2017 - 28.02.2018
Opening: Thursday, December 14, 1:00 pm
Curators: Alicja Andrzejewska-Zając (Muzeum Narodowe w Gdańsku), Dr. Alexandru Sonoc (Brukenthal National Museum)

The first project that brought Albrecht Dürer to his fame was a series of Biblical themes inspired by the Revelation to John, published in 1498 and again in 1511. From the perspective of posterity, this series issued in his youth, made in the wood engraving technique, is one of the most important and revolutionary works of art history; for the first time in the history of art images, the graphics were placed on the equal level with drawing and painting, but with greater impact due to the possibility of multiple and low cost reproduction of the image. Another series of religious themes, The Great Passion of Christ, of 1511, also serves to relive the Bible, in a human language, legible, in a real, convincing artistic form. Due to the popular features of the message transmitted through the means of woodcut, the artist gained a wide audience in all social categories. For both series of works, Dürer's vision of Scripture was influenced by apocalyptic fears and millennial hopes.
The exhibition features 14 engravings from the series of Revelation to John and 7 engravings from the series Great Passion of Christ. The engravings come from a collection of the City Museum in Gdańsk (Stadtmuseum Danzig), being in the museum propriety before the Second World War.
Such graphic series of great value are held by the world's most important museums and libraries while the originals are rarely presented abroad, as is the case of the present exhibition, which is an event of great importance for the Brukenthal National Museum and for the visitor audience .

Text from Alicja Andrzejewska-Zając