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About This Work
At the center, God the Father is enthroned above the Lamb of God and the four living creatures, surrounded by the twenty-four elders and a vast crowd of saints holding palm branches. Six oval medallions frame this vision, depicting parables such as the Ten Virgins, the Rich Man and Lazarus, and the Good Shepherd. The composition organizes the divine hierarchy and moral lessons of the Gospels into a symmetrical, structured celestial map.
This work reflects the 'Theatrum Mundi' or 'Great Chain of Being' worldview central to the court of Rudolf II in Prague, where Sadeler served as imperial engraver. It visually encodes the Neoplatonic-Christian concept of the Celestial Hierarchy, as articulated by Pseudo-Dionysius, placing the variety of human experience within a rigid divine order.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Timete Dominum et date illi ho- norem. Apoca. 14. OMNES SANCTI. Sadeler inuent. et exc: Matth. 5. / Matth. 25. / Lucae 16. / Apoca. 6. / Matth. 22. / Matth. 25. O quam clara micat Coelestis gloria Regni, Laeta ubi cum Sanctis gaudia CHRISTVS agit. Quo se cumque refert, Agnum comitantur euntem, Induti niueis conspicuiq[ue] stolis.
Translation
Fear the Lord and give Him ho- nor. Apoc. 14. ALL THE SAINTS. Sadeler inventor and publisher: Matt. 5. / Matt. 25. / Luke 16. / Apoc. 6. / Matt. 22. / Matt. 25. O how brightly the Celestial glory of the Kingdom shines, Where CHRIST keeps joyful celebrations with the Saints. Wherever He turns, they follow the Lamb as He goes, Clad in snow-white and conspicuous robes.
Connected Texts
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
The hierarchical arrangement of the heavenly host reflects the structures detailed in 'De Coelesti Hierarchia'.
St. Augustine
The print serves as a visual summation of the 'City of God' in its eternal, triumphant state.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 290 mm x width 223 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.