A detailed sixteenth-century engraving by Gerard de Jode depicting the Whore of Babylon from the Book of Revelation.

This engraving by Gerard de Jode depicts the Whore of Babylon, a figure from the Book of Revelation. The composition is circular, framed by a square border with decorative corner motifs. The central figure sits atop a multi-headed beast, holding a golden chalice aloft. Before her, figures kneel in a gesture of supplication or awe. The background features a sparse landscape with distant trees and figures, providing a sense of scale to the apocalyptic scene.

De Jode, a cartographer and printmaker based in Antwerp, produced this work during a period when biblical imagery was frequently adapted for educational and devotional print series. The engraving technique employs fine, controlled lines to define the musculature of the beast and the folds of the garments. The Latin inscription beneath the image provides a direct reference to the seventeenth chapter of Revelation, describing the figure riding the beast and carrying a cup of abominations. The text serves as a narrative anchor for the visual allegory, common in sixteenth-century print culture where text and image functioned in tandem to convey moral or theological messages.

The print reflects the stylistic conventions of the late Northern Renaissance, where artists balanced classical influence with the descriptive detail characteristic of the Low Countries. The figures are rendered with a focus on clarity and symbolic legibility rather than naturalistic depth. The inclusion of the crown on the ground in the foreground adds a layer of iconographic meaning, suggesting the fall of earthly power in the face of the divine judgement described in the text. This piece is a representative example of the small-scale, high-quality engravings produced by the de Jode workshop for collectors and scholars of the era.