The Angel Gives Saint John the Book to Eat, from the Apocalypse 1480 - 1570

Editor: Here we have Jean Duvet’s 1480-1570 engraving, "The Angel Gives Saint John the Book to Eat, from the Apocalypse," at The Met. The overwhelming detail immediately grabs you – a chaotic yet captivating scene. What's your take on this wild ride? Curator: A wild ride indeed! It feels less like observing and more like falling directly into John's visionary experience, wouldn’t you say? Duvet really packs in the details. I am drawn into the almost palpable tension between the divine and the mortal. What I see in the work is a brilliant exercise in controlled chaos. He masterfully layers intricate detail to convey the overwhelming, apocalyptic vision of St. John’s prophecy. Notice the cloud-like figure of the Angel – what do those formations evoke in you? Editor: It’s almost like the angel is erupting – exploding onto the scene. Curator: Exactly! This work is like a bridge between earthly limitations and heavenly boundlessness. Does it leave you feeling comforted or a bit disturbed, or maybe a little bit of both? Editor: Definitely both. The intense detail and, frankly, weirdness… it’s unsettling but makes you want to keep looking. Curator: Right? It is that bizarre tension. Duvet invites us into this moment, this collision of realms. This print becomes a personal journey into the Apocalypse, as much a reflection of our own inner landscapes as it is a depiction of Saint John's vision. What’s stuck with you? Editor: The overwhelming density and dreamlike quality, for sure. It’s less a picture and more of a feeling, you know? Curator: Precisely. And perhaps the enduring power of art lies precisely there – in its ability to translate a story, a feeling, or an idea into something tangible, something that can resonate across centuries and personal experiences.