Verso of Sheet with Fragment of The Destroying Angels, from The Apocalypse 1523 - 1524

This woodcut, made by Hans Burgkmair, depicts a scene from the Book of Revelation, teeming with potent symbols. At the center, an angel trumpets forth, while below, monstrous creatures emerge, poised to unleash devastation. Above, God sits in judgement, his gesture indicating divine command. The angel with the trumpet has roots in classical depictions of Fame, yet here, it announces not triumph but apocalypse. Consider the monstrous figures—part lion, part scorpion— hybrids that evoke ancient fears of the unholy, which recur throughout history, from Mesopotamian demons to medieval bestiaries. These creatures are not merely fantastical but represent humanity's deepest anxieties, emerging from the collective unconscious. The cyclical recurrence of such symbols demonstrates the enduring power of archetypes, continuously reshaped to express humanity's ever-present struggle with mortality and the unknown.