Albrecht Dürer, Apocalypse

On Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, in the Sala Clementina, the exhibition dossier Albrecht Dürer, Apocalypse opens to the public, dedicated to the woodcuts created by the German artist to illustrate the homonymous book from the final part of the New Testament. A series of 15 prints, in addition to the frontispiece, which demonstrate Dürer’s greatness as a creator of extraordinary images and clearly reveal his mastery in the field of graphic art.

The exhibition aims to continue the initiatives dedicated to the important graphic collection of the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe of the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, one of the most significant in Italy, by rotating and displaying works that are usually kept in storage for conservation reasons, thus enhancing and presenting them to the public.

The exhibition is curated by Elena Rossoni with Giulia Adami, from the Graphic Arts Department of the Pinacoteca Nazionale.

The woodcuts on display make up the Apoclypsis cum figuris (Illustrated Apocalypse), a collection of 15 woodcut plates created by Albrecht Dürer as an illustrative apparatus for the final book of the New Testament.

The volume represents the first example of a printed work conceived and published by an artist who not only designed and drew the images, but also likely carved the corresponding wooden blocks. It is the first example of an edition with full-page illustrations on the front, accompanied by the sacred text on the reverse: an innovation that offered readers a dual narrative, both visual and textual.

The exhibition will remain open until Friday, July 31, 2026.