Illustration for the Book of Revelation (-) c. 1890 - 1910

Giulio Aristide Sartorio made this illustration for the Book of Revelation in an unspecified year with graphite on paper. Sartorio taps into potent anxieties about war, death, and divine retribution. Working in Italy, Sartorio would have been aware of his country's difficult unification process in the 19th century and the increasing secularization of Italian society, as well as the looming shadow of the First World War. It’s no surprise that he chooses to illustrate a moment from the Bible that describes the apocalypse. The illustration uses strong visual codes to convey a scene of devastation, with figures in the throes of death and a horseman wielding a spear, likely representing the biblical figure of death. Note the grid that underlies the sketch, which gives a sense of the institutional apparatus that is necessary for the circulation and publication of images. As an art historian, I would consult books and articles about Italian history and religious movements to understand better how this drawing reflects the fears of its time. Ultimately, the meaning of this illustration lies in the social and institutional contexts that shaped its creation and reception.