De vier ruiters van de apocalyps before 1646

Christoffel van Sichem II created this woodcut print of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the 17th century. The print depicts figures from the Book of Revelation, harbingers of the end times, each carrying potent symbols. The horsemen of conquest, war, famine, and death, ride forth bringing chaos to humanity. Conquest carries a bow, war brandishes a sword, famine holds scales, and death is accompanied by a ravenous beast. The figures enact a collective, primal fear of inevitable destruction. This fear is not unique to Christian eschatology. The motif of impending doom resurfaces in various forms throughout history, from ancient myths to modern anxieties. The enduring presence of such images reveals a deep-seated, cyclical pattern in the human psyche. It's a powerful, subconscious acknowledgment of mortality that transcends time.