Revelation of St. John: St. Michael fighting the Dragon

Revelation of St. John: St. Michael fighting the Dragon — Albrecht Dürer. 1511.

Medium: woodcut. Dimensions: Sheet: 39.2 x 28.2 cm (15 7/16 x 11 1/8 in.); Mat Size: 48.9 x 36.3 cm (19 1/4 x 14 5/16 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

This woodcut comes from a series of 15 scenes from the Apocalypse. Dürer drew upon late northern Gothic traditions infused with the reality of spiritual events, biblical interpretation, and dense composition, as well as careful attention to naturalistic details of flora and fauna. He interprets Saint John’s visions by giving them a convincing physical existence. This scene depicts the war in heaven, a final battle between good and evil. Saint Michael and his angels defeat the dragon (Satan) and the other fallen angels, now morphed into repulsive demons, casting them into hell.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.