The Fall of Babylon – Apocalypse by Jean Le Clerc
CHUTE DE BABILONE ET VISION DE TROIS ANGES
Translation: Fall of Babylon and the Vision of Three Angels
This engraving illustrates scenes from Revelation 14, including the Lamb on Mount Zion (verse 1), the proclamation of the three angels (verses 6–11), and the foretelling of Babylon’s fall (verse 8). The three angels carry divine messages, while the seated Lamb is glorified in the heavens above a crumbling city.
Circa 1600-1630
Born: 1587 or 88 - Died: 1633
Dimensions: Approx 13.5 x 17.5 cm.
Jean Le Clerc (1587/88–1633) was a French Baroque painter and etcher from Nancy, in the Duchy of Lorraine. Trained under the Venetian master Carlo Saraceni, Le Clerc developed a tenebrist style characterized by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. While only a few of his paintings survive, his numerous etchings and engravings have been preserved, showcasing his skill in depicting religious themes with luminous detail.
The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning ‘unveiling’ or ‘revelation’. The author names himself as simply “John” in the text, but his precise identity remains uncertain. The book is also known as the “Revelation to John”, or “Apocalypse of St. John” and begins with a series of visions he received on the island of Patmos and wrote down in a cave on that island in the Agean.
In sancto iam monte Sion sanctissimus agnus
Astat et hunc circum cantica laeta sonant
Ecce Babel tandem cadit agno gloria cedit
Ergo sequens agnum quique beatus erit
Translation:
Now on holy Mount Zion stands the most holy Lamb,
And joyful songs surround Him all around.
Behold, at last Babylon falls, and to the Lamb goes the glory—
Therefore, blessed is everyone who follows the Lamb.
I. le clerc ex
This is the signature of Jean Le Clerc (Latinized: Ioannes Le Clerc), meaning “drawn/engraved by Le Clerc.”