Albrecht Dürer, woodcut, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

When the 27-year-old Dürer published the text of the Book of Revelation with 15 woodcut illustrations, he realized a three-fold ambition. He secured for himself a new source of income, transformed the appearance of the illustrated printed book, and found an outlet for his religious imagination. The Four Horsemen demonstrates how complete was his success.