The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse -Jean Le Clerc Book of Revelation
VISION DE QUATRE CHEVALIERS
Translation: Vision of Four Horsemen
This image illustrates Revelation 6:1–8, the dramatic appearance of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Each rider represents a force unleashed upon the earth: conquest (white horse, with a bow), war (red horse, with a sword), famine (black horse, with scales), and death (pale horse, ridden by a skeletal figure wielding a scythe). These allegorical figures symbolize judgment and devastation sent forth as the Lamb opens the first four of the seven seals.
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.
Quanta per humanas poenarū incommoda gentes
Grassentur breviter clara figura docet.
Presto tyrannis adest, sequitur caedesque famesque,
Terribili horrida mors omnia falce metit.
Translation:
How great the woes that plague mankind—
This vivid image briefly shows.
Tyranny is at hand, then follow slaughter and famine,
And dreadful death cuts down all with its terrible scythe.
I. le clerc ex
This is the signature of Jean Le Clerc (Latinized: Ioannes Le Clerc), meaning “drawn/engraved by Le Clerc.”
Condition: Red crayon marks in three areas of the image (child of a previous owner?)