In this website I compare Michelangelo’s Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel with his ceiling frescoes also found in the Sistine Chapel. Here is some background information about the Sistine Chapel's artwork. Michelangelo finished the frescoes on the ceiling during the pinnacle of the Renaissance. In 1517, five years after the finish of the ceiling frescoes, Martin Luther’s ninety-five theses against indulgences influenced the start of the Reformation. In 1534 Pope Paul III, a reformist, commissioned Michelangelo to paint a new fresco on the altar wall representing The Last Judgment as described in the Bible. When Michelangelo painted the altar wall fresco, Rome was recovering from war and plague. The Catholic Church at this time lost control and dominance, and Michelangelo was losing his Christian faith. Before the Reformation, when Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Italy was at the peak of the High Renaissance in which the Catholic Church was strong and influential, and the citizens of Italy were optimistic. The contrast of brightness and mood in Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes and the ominous tone in his fresco on the altar wall may reflect the change from Renaissance to Reformation, and his uncertainty about his faith. So here is a picture of The Last Judgment, and a couple of the frescoes on the ceiling.
The Last Judgment revolves around Jesus, who is at the center top of the painting, and surrounding him are saints, martyrs, angels, and the Virgin Mary. The martyrs are carrying the devices that killed them. For example, Saint Bartholomew holds in his left hand his own skin and in his right hand a knife. This represents his death in which he was skinned alive. Below Jesus are the blessed and the damned. To the right of Jesus are the blessed being called up to heaven, and to the left are the damned being pushed into hell. There are angels in the middle of the painting waking the dead, and it is interesting that one angel has a large book of names for those who are damned, and another angel has a small book of names for those who are blessed. The painting also depicts the damned trying to escape Hell, but the angels are pushing them back down to Hell. One of the most interesting figures is the Damned Man. He has a look as if he just realized that he is going to Hell for eternity. One eye is wide open and the other is covered by his hand. The damned man illustrates confusion, which similarly at this time Christianity was undergoing change and in need of direction.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is beautiful and profound. The ceiling looks three-dimensional and the detail of each fresco is truly astonishing. The ceiling can be divided up by: Webs, Pendentives, Sibyls Prophets, and the central stories. The web is a series of frescoes that are difficult to identify, but some say complete the ancestors of Christ of the lunettes. The Pendentives tell the stories of the salvation of the people of Israel. Sibyls Prophets symbolize the wait for redemption for mankind. Finally, the central stories come from the book of Genesis. Michelangelo illustrates in the central stories the creation of the Earth, mankind, and the faults of the human race through the stories of Noah. Michelangelo’s illustrates Adam, Eve and God with beautifully proportionate and strong bodies. Interestingly, Jesus is never illustrated in any of the ceiling frescoes. The ceiling is incredible and the interconnection of the stories is fascinating.
God appears in Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes several times. The Lord looks muscular, confident, and hopeful for humanity. However, In Michelangelo’s Last Judgment God looks upset with a face conveying condemnation. The topics for the frescoes on the ceiling and the altar wall were drastically different. The ceiling depicted the book of Genesis describing the creation of the Earth, and the altar wall depicted the Last Judgment. Nevertheless, Michelangelo’s style was more ominous, and the angels and saints showed fear and anger. For example, many of the saints have their heads turned like they are too scared to watch, and the martyrs are shown carrying the devices that killed them. Even those who are going to Heaven do not seem to be overjoyed. Michelangelo during this time was pessimistic about Christianity and uncertain of the direction in which it was going, and this reflects his interpretation of the last Judgment.