Vidi, quod aperuisset agnus... (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse)

1809/1810

Luigi Sabatelli I

Associated Names
Luigi Sabatelli I

Artist, Italian, 1772 - 1850

The image shows four horsemen in a dramatic composition. The drawing depicts four muscular figures riding horses, each with unique attributes. The central figure holds a bow, with flowing hair. Another figure holds scales, symbolizing balance or judgment. A third figure is hunched over a horse in the foreground, while a fourth figure stands holding a sword in the background, looking towards a distant shore. The scene conveys movement through the posture of the figures and horses. Created with a monochrome palette, the drawing utilizes strong contrast and delicate linework to show depth and texture, resulting in a intense depiction.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching

  • Credit Line

    Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 65.4 x 48 cm (25 3/4 x 18 7/8 in.)
    plate: 63.2 x 45.5 cm (24 7/8 x 17 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2011.124.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Le Blanc 1854-1888: undesc.

  • Series Title

    The Apocalypse

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Mattia Jona, Milan; purchased 2011 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2014

  • From Neoclassicism to Futurism: Italian Prints and Drawings, 1800- 1925, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2014 - 2015.

Bibliography

1854

  • Le Blanc, Charles. _Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant le dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations, dans lequel sont decrites les estampes rares, precieuses et interessantes avec l'indication de leurs differents etats et des prix auxquels: undesc.

1978

  • Paolozzi Strozz, Beatrice. Luigi Sabatelli: Disegni e Incisioni. Florence, 1978: no. 64.

Inscriptions

lower right in plate: Luigi Sabatelli invenit. ed. inc. Milano; along bottom of plate, Vidi, quod aperuisset agnus...de septem sigillis: et ecce equus albus, et qui sedebat super illum habebat arcum...exivit equus rufus: et qui sedebat super illum, / datus est ei gladius magnus...ecce equus niger: et qui sedebat super illum, habebat stateram...ecce equus pallidus: et qui sedebat super eum, nomen illi mors. Apoc. C. VI

Wikidata ID

Q76560544

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