Who painted The Seven Angels with the Trumpets?

The Seven Angels with the Trumpets was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1497.

Where can I see The Seven Angels with the Trumpets?

The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is held by Städel Museum.

What movement is The Seven Angels with the Trumpets?

The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

The Seven Angels with the Trumpets

Albrecht Dürer , 1497

The Seven Angels with the Trumpets is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1497 and is held in the collection of the Städel Museum.

About this work

Overview

Albrecht Dürer’s woodcut titled The Seven Angels with the Trumpets dates from around 1497. Executed as a print, the image presents a dramatic biblical scene in which seven angels sound trumpets while chaotic forces unfold beneath them. The composition is rendered in the stark, graphic language of early German woodcut, emphasizing line and contrast.

Subject & Meaning

The work visualizes the fifth and sixth seals from the Book of Revelation, moments when divine trumpets herald cataclysmic events. Seven angels raise their trumpets, and below them a swirl of strange beasts, a dragon, and a falling star suggest the apocalyptic turmoil described in the biblical text.

Technique & Style

Dürer employed a carved wooden block to incise bold outlines and fine details, then inked the surface to transfer the image onto paper. The resulting print displays the high-contrast, sharp linear quality typical of woodcut, with intricate hatching that conveys movement and texture in the surrounding chaos.

History & Provenance

Created in the 1490s, when printmaking was emerging as a major artistic medium, the piece reflects Dürer’s early experimentation with the woodcut process. It formed part of a series of religious prints that helped disseminate biblical narratives across Europe, though specific ownership records for this individual sheet remain limited.