The Last Judgement Michelangelo Analysis

633 Words2 Pages

Renaissance Art The Last Judgement by Michelangelo is the most preeminent representation of Italian Renaissance fine art, and undoubtedly the most valuable piece of the era. Characteristics of Italian Renaissance artwork are present throughout the painting. Realism, perspective, individualism, light & shadowing and are the most prominent qualities of this painting. Particularly, realism is expressed through the nudity of the people displayed in the painting, not every person’s body is perfect, ideally many bodies have flaws. Realism and expression are shown when “the proportions of his figures grew… more menacing… [and] seething with nudity” (1). The people behind the altar of the Chapel were naked with indecent expressions, displaying individual …show more content…

Perspective is based on Jesus in this painting due to his outward “radiant glow of divine light” (1) extending to the other people in the painting. The main focus is on Jesus and the rest of the figures are diffused in an outward fashion from Jesus himself. The artist himself expresses an emphasis on individualism by implementing himself within the painting by appearing “twice in the Last Judgement: in the flayed skin which Saint Bartholomew is carrying in his left hand, and the figure… who is looking encouragingly at those rising from their graves” (2). This is an action that only a Renaissance painter would do, which is displaying individuality through a self-portrait because of the possibility of being judged for selfishness. Light and shadowing is prominent within the art which is shown in the painting when the lighter, more brighter colors are focused in the middle and then fade into darker tones while moving outward into the …show more content…

They exemplify “the good...bad...famous and...obscure; the decision being taken by God must be the most momentous of all decisions ever taken; the painter must convincingly imagine Hell for those who receive thumbs-down on God’s final judgement; at the same time he must convincingly imagine Heaven for those who are saved” (3). This depicts that the painter perceives the afterlife in this manner, and shows Heaven and Hell through the people and colors, lighter and closer to jesus for Heaven, and darker and closer to Hell for the individuals with the “thumbs down” judgement. This evaluation ties in within the historical context of the painting. The Last Judgement “covers the wall behind the altar in the Sistine Chapel. The work depicts the second coming of Christ and, although the artist is clearly inspired by the Bible, it is his own imaginative vision that prevails in this painting” (4). This shows that even though Michelangelo was ordered by the Pope and inspired by the Bible to paint this artwork, this painting is based off of Renaissance ideals, due to his “imaginative vision” that prevails in the

Show More
Related

  • Michelangelo's Study Of A Man

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    Michelangelo Buonarroti was one of the top three Italian artists. His work are examples of how great the art was in the High Renaissance Era. Michelangelo’s chalk drawing, Study of a Man, was his analysis of the way he saw the body and the way it was shaped and saw the different positions. By using critical thinking as he created his art, he had the ability to study the way a man looks. He was able to process how the way the body moves and sits.

    Read More

  • Masaccio Trinity Analysis

    1591 Words  | 4 Pages

    ( footnote book ). This painting had multiple purposes, it was used in religious rituals and commemorated as a funerary moment of Christ. In the painting there are three fictional spaces one which holds the chapel with the trinity, Christ the son on the crucifix, we see the dove, the Holy Spirit, looks like gods collar, and above we see god. He’s demonstrating the sacrifice of his son which redeems human’s sins. A second space where we see young St. John the evangelist and on the other side there is the Virgin Mary presenting the second space. The virgin’s stoic impression; penetrating the audience, saying that it’s a reminder of what Christ was sacrificed for and the constant reminder if redemption. She’s not the fallen virgin, she is very somber and serious. This is why this is considered a devotional piece and also what Alberti would call a ‘historia’. Mary is the one is the historia depicting what is going on, as Alberti states, she is the character that beckons the audience with her hand, holding a ferocious expression and forbidding glance, this is the gesture that invites you to laugh or weep with her.(footnote course) In this instance it is to remember and be thankful to Christ and how his sacrifice redeemed mankind from their sins.

    Read More

  • Ross King Sistine Ceiling Sparknotes

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ross King's purpose in writing this book is to detail Michelangelo's magnificent struggle with personal, political, and artistic difficulties during the painting of the Sistine ceiling. He also gives an engaging portrait of society and politics during the early sixteenth century.

    Read More

  • St. Maude Analysis

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    Artist makes St. Sebastian's body important by firstly having the body be placed in the foreground. The intended to put the body in the foreground in order to be the the first thing that the viewers observe. Furthermore, he only figure in the composition that is a pose that lays horizontally. Secondly, the artist uses the openness of his bare skin to this lure the views into the paining. Also, St Stabastion, expresses the terrible condition he is in. Thirdly, the darkened color and shadows on his face expresses in a deadly and sickly feeling to the viewers. emphasises the the He be interested in the As, a result, this creates emphasis in one part on the composition of the painting. Fourthly, his left arm is an important part of the composition because the artist intentionally created this limb to be bent in an uncomfortable way to look limp and paralyzed. In addition, the limp arm was to show empathy of the direr struggle of what incredible torture he endured. Lastly, St. Sebastian is pushed in front and the other two figures behind him making him the main focus of the artwork.As, a result, this creates emphasis in one part on the composition of the painting. mentioned in a previous paragraphs the deep rich red color blouse that St. Irene is wearing give emphasis she is vivacious and full of life compared to St.Sebastian who looks more listless and

    Read More

  • Michelangelo's Fresco The Last Judgment

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Art, by definition, is “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings”. Throughout history, one way that art has been used is to reflect a multitude of ideas and beliefs. Christian beliefs and ideas have been portrayed in artwork since the beginning of Christianity, although, it was not always acceptable to do so. The idea of the final judgement is a Christian idea that has been displayed in art repeatedly in a variety of ways. Michelangelo’s fresco the Last Judgment (1536-1541) is a piece that visualizes this idea. Since the time it was finished, this significant piece found in the Sistine Chapel has been continuously critiqued and analyzed. Many Christians struggle to interpret the event of a final judgment after reading it through Scripture. In analyzing Michelangelo’s piece, it is similar difficult to determine what he exactly meant to portray and what the various part of his masterpiece represent exactly. Many have examined this piece and made different regarding what exactly the various figures and objects are supposed to represent. The diverse interpretations of this work further shows the idea that when Christian ideas are reflected through artwork, it is hard to ascertain exactly what an artist intended to demonstrate. In addition, the controversies surrounding this piece represent the idea that when Christian ideas are revealed through art, there is potential for disagreement regarding what should and should not be included in Christian art. Michelangelo’s Last Judgment is just an example of what results when Christianity is brought into art.

    Read More

  • Visual Analysis Of The Christ Icon

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    The eyes and mouth are slanted creating a strange and captivating feel. Art historians over the years have separated the two halves of the Christ Icon, pairing each side with a more symmetrical representation of the other half of the face. This process revealed the duality of Christ which the painter was attempting to capture. On the left side of his face, Christ appears to be an ordinary, youthful man who would not attract any attention when walking through town. On the right side, Christ is a much older and more divine individual who appears to be glowing. This duality represented the belief that Christ is both omnipotent and ordinary. The two halves of the Christ Icon are an impressive demonstration the immense talent of the artist in making divine religious values appear to the viewer thought

    Read More

  • Michelangelo Research Paper

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    Without the historical events to inspire the artists, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Jacques-Louis David, their historical achievements would have been limited.

    Read More

  • Michelangelo's Controversy

    351 Words  | 1 Pages

    The great artist Michelangelo once said, “The greater danger for the most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Do you agree or disagree with Michelangelo’s statement? Take a position on the issue. Support your response with details and specific examples. I agree with this but at the same time I don’t completely agree with the second part. Yes, we sometimes won’t go the full mile for something because we fear that we won’t make it. Although just because it may seem like nothing got accomplished since you didn’t reach your goal doesn’t mean you didn’t accomplish anything. I agree with this statement for the most part. I see where a person can fear they won’t accomplish

    Read More

  • Michelangelo and Renaissance Religion

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    By creating perfect physical beauty in his work, Michelangelo represented the essence of the supernatural and of the divine. In so doing, he employed the elements of classicism at the heart of the Renaissance, therefore portraying the change in religious philosophy at the time. Today, many of his works continue to impact the way we see God and the Catholic faith.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Leonardo and Tintoretto's Last Supper Paintings

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    Leonardo’s version of the Last Supper was painted El fresco depicting the scene passively without emotion. The work has the supper table horizontal across the lower third and Jesus and his twelve disciples dining behind it, before a backdrop of both man made structure and natural landscape. The artwork is un-cluttered and simple. The lighting is subtle and non-dramatic. Colour is conservative and dull this is partly due to the limited paint available and the technique and decay of fresco painting. The wor...

    Read More

  • Vasari Michelangelo Analysis

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    Michelangelo not only created a work that was huge in size, with a beautiful depiction of scenes form the bible, tying in perfectly to describe the rise and fall of mankind, he also mastered his own technique in depicting the human body, To Michelangelo “the body was beautiful not only in its natural form but also in its spiritual and philosophical significance” (Gardner’s 626). The idea of showing the pure beauty of the human form is seen both in the beauty of the art itself with its rarely seen before vivid colors, as well as the idealizing of the human form, showing it off in the most beautiful way. Michelangelo depicted the human form in the most basic way possible, either nude or simply clothed, to display how the human body is quite beautiful even without garments of any kind. It was said that Michelangelo never said himself to be a painter, but rather a sculptor, and this is seen in his amazing way of painting the human figure, with a sculptor’s eye, where humans seem to be very similar to a statue, with extreme attention to the detail in how light and shadow display

    Read More

  • The Holy Trinity, by Masaccio

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    Masaccio’s famous religious painting, “The Holy Trinity”, is known for the engagement of linear perspective to create an image that goes beyond just paint on canvas, (or should I say wall?) by creating the illusion of depth. This painting addresses many religious concepts by setting up different levels and layers in the constructed space. The characters depicted are made up of four groups of human figures, which include the Trinity (God the father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), the Virgin Mary and Saint John, a pair of donors, and a skeleton on a tomb at the bottom of the picture. There is an apparent point of separation, which is made clear due to each group being on separate levels. Their difference in power is fundamental feature in explaining the relationship that is being portrayed between mankind and divinity in this painting. Because of Masaccio’s use and manipulation of perspective and a vanishing point – a new line of finite and infinity is crossed because visual manifestations of a hierarchical division between eternal life above, death below and the living in between are expressed.

    Read More

  • Tintoretto The Crucifixion

    2310 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...s of the people that cared about Jesus and also to see the anger that God had for what the people had done to his son by showing the stormy clouds and gloomy surroundings. But he also wanted us to see that even among the gloom that good can come because Jesus has died on the cross for our sins so that we may join him in Heave with our father. I believe he shows this by the light surrounding Jesus. I think this is a great master piece. Tintoretto has so much going on throughout the painting that you can go back and look again and find something going on in the picture that you missed before.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Painting

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel painting is one of the greatest pieces of art known to mankind. John Dixon, in his journal “Christology of Michelangelo,” breaks down in his articles the images that Michelangelo painted, he helps us understand why he painted them, in the order that he did, and what they mean. We will also look at how the Renaissance era influenced Michelangelo’s painting perspective on society and culture as described by Kimberly Abruzzo, in her text on “How the Renaissance Changed European Culture and Society.” The Sistine Chapel ceiling painting is one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements, being a man of culture and influenced by his time, Michelangelo Sistine Chapel paintings reveals the value that his society of the

    Read More

  • The Sistine Chapel In The Heart Of The Vatican City

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Seymour, Charles. Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel Ceiling: Illustrations, Introductory Essays, Backgrounds and Sources, Critical Essays. New York: Norton, 1972. Print.

    Read More

More about The Last Judgement Michelangelo Analysis

Open Document