Michelangelo's Last Judgment

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment" is a monumental fresco painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Commissioned by Pope Clement VII and completed by Pope Paul III, it depicts the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity.

Key aspects of the fresco include:

• Scale and Scope: The vastness of the composition, featuring over 300 figures, is breathtaking.
• Central Figure: Christ is depicted as a powerful, muscular, and wrathful judge.
• Compositional Dynamics: The swirling, chaotic arrangement of figures creates a sense of immense energy and drama.
• Biblical Narrative: It illustrates scenes of the blessed ascending to heaven and the damned descending to hell.
• Artistic Innovation: The dramatic use of foreshortening and the anatomical precision of the figures are hallmarks of Michelangelo's genius.

The fresco was completed between 1536 and 1541 and has been the subject of much debate and admiration for centuries due to its powerful imagery and theological implications.