The Four Angels Holding Back the Winds

As described at the beginning of the seven chapter of the Apocalypse, four angels arrive from the four corners of the earth to restrain the fury of the winds. Albrecht Dürer depicts them with drawn swords, while cherub heads blowing from the clouds represent the winds themselves. Above them, a fifth angel bears the seal of the living God and commands that the destruction be held back until the 144,000 chosen ones have been marked. The scene is charged with a subtle tension: on the one hand, the storm, ready to break; on the other, a suspended moment of anticipation.