Michelangelo's Last Judgment Fresco

Overview

• Commissioned more than 20 years after Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes.
• Painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.
• Depicts "The Last Judgment" from the New Testament, Book of Revelation.
• High altar significance: location for the Pope's Mass and College of Cardinals' conclave.

Composition and Imagery

Christ

• Positioned at the top center.
• Flanked by saints and Old Testament figures.
• Below Christ: separation of the blessed (right) and the damned (left).
• Christ depicted as a powerful judge, pointing to his crucifixion wounds.

Virgin Mary

• Positioned beside Christ, appearing powerless.
• Looks down towards the blessed but seems to surrender the damned to Christ.

The Blessed

• Rise to heaven assisted by angels.
• Depicted with dense, muscular physiques.
• Imagery includes angels pulling a couple up by a rosary.

Angels and Resurrection

• Angels blowing golden trumpets to awaken the dead.
• Depicted as powerful, male figures with disproportionate features.
• Physicality emphasizes the struggle of saving souls.

The Damned

Depiction

• Damned delivered to hell on a boat, rowed by Charon.
• Demons and angels involved in delivering the damned.
• Vivid imagery of demons and the damned’s desperation.

Iconic Figures

• The "Damned Man" shows psychological intensity, covering one eye in disbelief.

Artistic Style and Symbolism

• Contrast with earlier Sistine Chapel ceiling work.
• Figures intentionally ugly and awkward, with disproportionate features.
• Emphasis on the symbolic over classical ideal proportions.
• Reflection of religious turmoil during the Protestant Reformation.

Notable Saints

• St. Catherine with her martyrdom wheel, depicted ungainly.
• St. Bartholomew holding a knife and his own skin, includes Michelangelo’s self-portrait as the skin’s face.
  • Suggests Michelangelo’s contemplation of his soul’s fate.

Themes and Interpretations

• Transition from Michelangelo's earlier optimism to later pessimism.
• Use of diagonal line symbolism from the cross through to hell.
• Religious message prioritized over artistic beauty.