The Triumphant Lion: Producing a Venetian Apocalypse in Late Sixteenth-Century Political Prophecy

Abstract

The article examines a rare sixteenth-century exegesis by Marco Antonio Lovisino. His commentary, written in Latin and vernacular Italian, features nine unique woodcuts that illustrate various apocalyptic scenes from the prophecy of 2 Esdras. Delving into the woodcut imagery and history of printing offers insights into how the text assuaged contemporary political anxieties through apocalyptic language. Lovisino’s text is thoroughly anti-Turkish and provides a scenario for overcoming the Ottoman threat. The article contributes to the historical discourse on Biblical exegesis, the myth of the Republic of Venice, and historians’ understandings of apocalyptic texts in late sixteenth-century Venice.