The Fourth Trumpet – Apocalypse by Jean Le Clerc
CE QUI ADVINT APRES LE SON DE LA 4e TROMPETTE
Translation: What Happens After the Sound of the 4th Trumpet
This image illustrates Revelation 8:12–13. The fourth angel sounds his trumpet and a third of the sun, moon, and stars are darkened, leading to partial loss of light day and night. Following this, an eagle (or angel, in some translations) flies through heaven proclaiming “Woe, woe, woe” to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpets yet to come. The engraving shows the celestial dimming and a flying angel bearing the words “VE VE VE” (Latin for “woe, woe, woe”).
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.
Ore sed angelico resonans tuba quarta malorum
Terrorumque homini causa tremenda fuit
Namque suum lumen sol terris denegat atque
Luna caret radiis astraque nigra latent
Translation:
But when the fourth trumpet resounded from the angel’s mouth,
It brought dreadful fear upon mankind.
For the sun withheld its light from the earth,
The moon lost its rays, and the stars lay hidden in darkness.
I. le clerc ex
This is the signature of Jean Le Clerc (Latinized: Ioannes Le Clerc), meaning “drawn/engraved by Le Clerc.”