Dürer’s Apocalypse in Bologna: the visionary woodcuts on display

Albrecht Dürer’s Apocalypse on show in Bologna

From 24 April to 31 July 2026 the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna hosts an exhibition of Albrecht Dürer’s famous Apocalypse woodcuts, engraved between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The plates convey intense, dramatic scenes that continue to resonate for their movement and symbolic density.

Why attend

Dürer’s engravings go beyond biblical illustration: they mark an innovation in the book format by separating image and text and creating a self-standing visual narrative. War, famine, pestilence and death become concrete figures, projected out of the page with striking immediacy.

Key features

• Works: the Apocalypse cycle in woodcut.
• Historical significance: milestones in the emergence of the illustrated book; Dürer as author, publisher and director of his work.
• Impact: powerful imagery that speaks to modern viewers regardless of familiarity with the Biblical text.
• Rarity: many sheets are normally kept in storage and are rarely on public display.

Practical information

• Dates: 24 April – 31 July 2026
• Venue: Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, via Belle Arti, 56
• Curators: Elena Rossoni and Giulia Adami
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–19:00

The exhibition is part of an ongoing program to highlight the museum’s Cabinet of Drawings and Prints, offering a rare chance to see works usually kept in drawers and to appreciate how Dürer’s engraving technique gives form to collective anxieties across centuries.