Second and Third Trumpets – Apocalypse by Jean Le Clerc
CE QUI ADVINT APRES LE SON DE LA 2e ET 3e TROMPETTE
Translation: What Happens After the Sound of the 2nd and 3rd Trumpets
This image illustrates Revelation 8:8–11, where the second trumpet causes a great mountain of fire to be cast into the sea, turning a third of it to blood and destroying ships and sea life. The third trumpet causes a star named Wormwood to fall from heaven, turning rivers bitter and causing many deaths. The engraving shows both events: angels blowing trumpets, fire falling from the sky, and destruction at sea and on land.
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.
Quisque tuba tribuente Deo capit angelus ingens
Huic mortale subit poena tremorque genus
Mox e thuribulo sacer ignis iactus in imum
Concitat et tonitru et cuncta tremore quatit.
Translation:
Each angel, receiving the trumpet from God, takes it up—
Then punishment and trembling fall upon mankind.
Soon, from the censer, sacred fire is thrown down below,
It stirs thunder and shakes all things with trembling.
I. le clerc ex
This is the signature of Jean Le Clerc (Latinized: Ioannes Le Clerc), meaning “drawn/engraved by Le Clerc.”