The Vision of the Son of Man
Virgil Solis, 1565 · Revelation 1:1
The passage
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 1:1
About this woodcut
Seven candlesticks stand in cloud, lit. Among them is one in a long robe with a golden band across the chest, hair white, a sword coming out of his mouth, and rays behind his head. At his feet, face down, John has collapsed into the cloud.
The sword is drawn literally, blade first, emerging from the mouth. Every artist has to decide whether to do that or soften it, and Solis does not soften it. The seven candlesticks are ordinary domestic candlesticks, the kind that would have stood on a table in Nuremberg.
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